Prairie Artisan Bomb 12OZ is a 13.0% ABV imperial stout brewed with espresso beans, cacao nibs, vanilla beans, and ancho chili peppers. Named a RateBeer Top 100 Beer in the World for three consecutive years, Bomb has earned a near-perfect 99 score on BeerAdvocate across more than 6,670 ratings — a remarkable consensus for any beer in any style. Quick Facts: ABV: 13.0% | Origin: Oklahoma, USA | Style: Imperial Stout | Brewery: Prairie Artisan Ales (Krebs Brewing Company) Production & Heritage Prairie Artisan Ales operates under the umbrella of Krebs Brewing Company, brewing Bomb on a 50-barrel production system in McAlester, Oklahoma. The recipe calls for four key adjuncts — espresso beans sourced from Spaceship Earth Coffee (replacing the original Nordaggios coffee used in earlier batches), cacao nibs, whole vanilla beans, and toasted ancho chili peppers — all layered onto a robust imperial stout base. Notably, the brewers produce an in-house caramel sauce by hand using nothing but black gloves and a propane tank, adding another dimension to the beer's complexity. Because of batch-to-batch variation, the ABV can shift slightly from one release to the next. Tasting Notes Aroma: Dark roasted coffee dominates the nose immediately, followed by rich baker's chocolate and a subtle warmth from the ancho chili. Underneath, faint vanilla sweetness rounds out the bouquet without turning cloying. Taste: The first sip delivers full-bodied dark chocolate and espresso, landing like a thick chocolate milk with serious roast character. Mid-palate, vanilla bean sweetness emerges alongside the stout's malty backbone, keeping the bitterness balanced. Despite the 13% ABV, alcohol is remarkably well hidden with no overt heat on the tongue. Finish: The ancho chili pepper makes its presence known at the back of the throat, building slowly into a persistent, gentle warmth that counterbalances the sweetness. The finish lingers with cocoa and roasted coffee, tapering into a dry, spicy fade that invites another sip. How to Drink Bomb Bomb is best served at cellar temperature, around 50–55°F, in a snifter or tulip glass that concentrates its layered aromas. Pouring too cold will mute the vanilla and chili character, so patience pays off here. While this is fundamentally a sipping beer, it does have cocktail-adjacent applications: use it in a Beer Float with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream to amplify the dessert qualities; try a Black Velvet variation by layering it gently with dry champagne for a dramatic textural contrast; or build a Stout Flip by shaking a small pour with a whole egg, simple syrup, and a dash of mole bitters for a rich, frothy after-dinner drink. Best For Gifting a craft beer enthusiast who appreciates bold, adjunct-driven stouts After-dinner sipping alongside a chocolate or coffee dessert course Sharing with friends during a curated imperial stout tasting lineup Cellaring to explore how the chili and vanilla evolve over time Frequently Asked Questions What does Bomb taste like? Bomb delivers an intense combination of dark chocolate and espresso up front, followed by vanilla sweetness, with a slow-building ancho chili warmth that lingers in the throat. Despite its 13% ABV, the alcohol is well integrated and does not overpower the flavor. How does Bomb compare to Founders KBS? Both are highly rated imperial stouts with coffee character, but Bomb distinguishes itself with ancho chili pepper heat and vanilla bean sweetness rather than the bourbon-barrel aging that defines KBS. Bomb also sits at 13% ABV versus KBS's typical 12.2%, and relies on adjunct layering rather than barrel influence for its complexity. Is Bomb good for sipping neat? Bomb is ideal for slow, contemplative sipping at cellar temperature, where its four adjunct layers — espresso, cacao, vanilla, and chili — reveal themselves gradually. The hidden ABV makes it dangerously easy to drink for a 13% beer. Where is Bomb made? Bomb is brewed by Prairie Artisan Ales at the Krebs Brewing Company production facility in McAlester, Oklahoma. The brewery operates a 50-barrel brewhouse in the heart of southeastern Oklahoma. What foods pair well with Bomb? Rich, dark chocolate truffles mirror the cacao nibs and amplify the stout's sweetness. Smoked brisket or pulled pork plays off the chili warmth. A sharp aged cheddar provides a savory counterpoint to the vanilla. Mole-sauced dishes echo the beer's own chili-chocolate character. Espresso-rubbed steak creates a coffee-on-coffee harmony that deepens the roast notes. What sizes does Bomb come in? Bomb is commonly available in the standard 12oz bottle format, which is the expression listed here. Is Bomb worth the price? Bomb positions as a premium craft imperial stout, and its BeerAdvocate score of 99 along with three consecutive years on the RateBeer Top 100 list place it among the most critically acclaimed beers in its class, offering strong value relative to other elite-tier stouts. Why Bomb? Very few imperial stouts achieve a 99 on BeerAdvocate while also earning repeated RateBeer Top 100 honors — Bomb has done both, and that critical consensus is not accidental. The four-adjunct architecture of espresso, cacao nibs, vanilla bean, and toasted ancho chili creates a flavor sequence that unfolds in stages rather than hitting all at once, giving the beer a narrative quality most stouts lack. The shift from Nordaggios to Spaceship Earth Coffee beans shows a brewery willing to evolve its sourcing while maintaining the recipe's identity. For anyone serious about imperial stouts, Bomb remains one of the benchmarks against which the entire category is measured.
