An early favorite from the Tulsa brewery, Okie has not been in production for a couple of years now. Originally released in 750 ml corked and caged bottles, this batch of the 12% ABV Imperial Brown Ale has been released in a more manageable 12 ounce bottle but a higher ABV than the last release.

Company: Prairie Artisan Ales

Location: Tulsa, OK. Brewed in Krebs, OK

ABV: 12%

Style/Description: American Strong Ale, or Imperial Brown Ale aged in oak whiskey barrels

Price: $9

Appearance: Pours a deep ruby copper into a Prairie teku glass, very lightly translucent. Almost no fizz on the pour, very light head. Thick sticky lace lingers throughout the session.

Nose: Creamy caramel and toffee aroma, thick and sweet. Some of the whiskey barrel and booze comes through on the nose. Mellow booze wafts up, cut by big time malty brown sugar and treacle.

Taste: Molasses and caramel, treacle and vanilla. Some low espresso coffee and dark chocolate roasty notes, with hints of a buttery nuttiness. Dark fruit notes, light raisin and prune flavors hide behind the big time malts. Some oak and whiskey come through from the barrel, though I’d like a little more, honestly. The promise of the booze in the nose pays off, though surprisingly mellow for a fresh bottle of 12% ABV. This is definitely getting into barleywine territory. The mouth seems a bit thin for such a big beer, and the carbonation is almost non-existent.

Finish: Sticky, lingering boozy finish leaves my breath smelling like cookies and whiskey. Just like Uncle Dan on Christmas! A bit phlegmy, with some of the dark fruits and nuts hanging around.

Overall: I was excited about this brew coming back. I liked the first batch quite a bit and it mostly disappeared before I could stock up. Despite this bottle being fresh, it tastes quite mature. The booze and oak are already mellow. Much about this beer is great, but the mouthfeel throws me a bit. Very sticky, but somewhat thin, and very low carb. Definitely not something to drink every day, but I’ll be buying a few extra bottles to cellar for a cold winter night.

Rating: 3.5/5