Smoked & Oaked Belgian-Style Ale - Epic Brewing Co.

Jmamay22

New York

3.83/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

Beer pours a hazy caramel brown with a thin khaki head. It smells of candied sugar, caramel and peaty smoke with a very slight yeasty and fruity background. A very unique scent.

The beer mixes the flavor of scotch and the qualities of a Belgian ale well. The beer begins with a flavor of caramel and candied apple. The smoke comes into play midway through and plays well with the candied sugar flavor. Even if only imagined there is a peat like finish leaving me to believe there was use of scotch barrels. Unfortunately the mouthfeel is a little thin and I would have preferred emphasis on the Belgian style with a greater level of carbonation. Would be niceif it was bottle conditioned with cor and cage, but that would likely increase the price and may not currently be possible at this brewery.

A unique and enjoyable brew. Along with the sage saison, I am beginning to enjoy this breweries unique style.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 22:10:56 | More by Jmamay22

bcostner1

Tennessee

4.19/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Burnt orange with reddish hues. Khaki head that sticks around for a while.

S: Smoke, booze, vanilla, mild yeast.

T: Sweet caramel, vanilla, mild bourbon, candi sugar, molasses, a little oak, bacon and smoke on the back end. Nice combo.

M: Sticky, viscous, full, and satisfying. Booze mildly detectable but not abrasively so.

Overall, this is another solid offering from Epic. I would definitely have it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 23:30:56 | More by bcostner1

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

a smoked Belgian? I wasn't sure what to make of this one, a seemingly strange fusion between the german rauch style and the Belgian yeast was sure to be strange, and this indeed is a stranger. pours a light brown shade, cloudy, with only a thin film of tan suds. the nose is Belgian yeasty, some bright plantain fruity flavors, but also that classic biscuit dry crumbly spicy teacake sort of vibe. plenty of smoke, sweeter smoke, some toffee and caramel, nutty too like a good brittle. the oak isn't as strong in the nose as it is in the taste, the whole back end of this is whiskey soaked and really vanilla heavy, especially as it warms. the smoke flavor is rather mild and despite my hesitance, actually matches up very well with the Belgian yeast. the alcohol is nowhere to be found, which is nice, it allows the complex flavors to not be disturbed. the finish is long and yeasty, with a campfire feel. low carbonation is still just enough, and the texture is soft. overall a very interesting combination of flavors, im not sure its balanced perfectly, but I really like the idea behind this one. went well with some cheese steal pizza, and I can think of a range of other food pairings. for the adventurous palate.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 16:40:28 | More by StonedTrippin

TheBigLebrewski

Michigan

1.68/5  rDev -56.6%
look: 1.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Unappealing appearance. Ugly mid-brown, opaque shade that looked cloudy, even muddy.
Smell was an even greater put-off.

The drinking buddy pulled it off the tip of my tongue when he said it smelled like meat. I didn't get meat in the smell, but I certainly do in the flavor - cured, sweet meat. Indeed, the flavor is not too far from Rogue's Voodoo Donut, in certain ways. The Belgian yeast certainly maintains a difference in flavor, but it ends up providing the factor of sweetness that brought the voodoo to mind (which contained maple).

In my opinion, it's not smoky enough. The smoked aspect seemed to be what came through as a bit of salt, and even more-so meat. Which I wouldn't choose as a flavor in any sort of beverage, save maybe bacon bloody marys. The oak was lacking as well, being completely overwhelmed by yeast and malt, and, if anything, contributing to the carnivorous off-flavors.

I was pretty excited about this - I tend to favor both smoked and oaked beers of various styles, but the Belgian sweetness and the weak oakysmokiness didn't pair well at all.

Could the bottle have gone bad?

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2012 08:17:25 | More by TheBigLebrewski

JayQue

Virginia

3.55/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Not bad! More smokey than Belgian, but is goes down nicely. Poured into my Chimay goblet. An orangy brown color with a smallish off white head. About average head retention and minimal lacing.

Aroma a bit weak for a Belgian. A little dark fruit and some smokiness. None of the yeast, spices, candi sugar etc that you would expect in a strong Belgian.

Taste is pretty good. THe smokiness is just right and there is some malt, dark fruit and a little sweetness to round things out.

Mouthfeel is rich, there is a distinct alcohol "burn" but not enough to ruin the drinking experience. A year's aging is probably in order.

Not a top-tier Belgian Strong Dark Ale, but not a bad beer either.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 01:41:29 | More by JayQue

Bung

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz. Orangy amber pour, just a ring of white. Not much lacing really.

Aroma, a lot of cherry, much more than I would like. Small amount of caramel, peat, some nutmeg and brown like sugar. This does improve as it warms to more smoked woodiness.

Taste, caramel and smoked peat up front. Quickly changes to more typical plum, fig and cherry. A fair dose of vanilla. Finish is a little of that smokey cherry.

There is some heat there, but it does not show in the taste much at least. A good level of carbonation. A sipper as to be expected.
Good overall but a little pricey. The heat being the only detractor. Probably a good one to cellar.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 02:36:02 | More by Bung

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Beer #60 in my great Utah Brew Hunt.

Release #15 says it is 10.4% abv.

Wow. A beautiful Belgian ale. Very nice wood tones, and yes, there is a smokey kind of thing going on as well. There is a bit of an alcohol burn, but it seems to mesh fairly well into the overall scheme of things. Bottom line is this is a very nice beer. Put some age on it, and I have to wonder how it would turn out. Definitely suggested.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2012 02:28:57 | More by RblWthACoz

Rukasu

District of Columbia

4.08/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Release #13

A - Cloudy, dense rusty brown/deep caramel with yeast sediment

S - Big alcohol burn on the nose, brown sugar, scotch like whiskey notes

T - A bit sweeter than I thought it would be. Dried pit fruits, brown sugar, scotch peat, a lot of oak with a warming alcohol feel that lingers on the finish.

M - Light carbonation, the sweetness and high alcohol is a bit drying with a numbing on the tongue.

O - Not a bad beer, though not as good as I thought it would be. Less smokey and a bit sweeter than I anticipated. Though the oak and scotch underlying flavor does balance out the sweetness well.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 00:33:26 | More by Rukasu

mikeyv35

New York

4.2/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Date: 03/14/12
Type: 22oz. Bomber
Vintage: 2011
Glass: General Lafayette Pint Glass

Poured a brown mahogany in color w/ a small white cap head that left minimal lacing. Aromas of caramel, toffee, citrus, oak, and a touch of peat. The flavor was of caramel/toffee sweetness up front, leading into oak and slight peat, and finished like a Belgian Tripel (banana and orange peel). Medium bodied and lush w/ lower levels of carbonation. Pretty easy to drink as the 9% ABV was well hidden.

Overall, I was overly impressed by this beer that I was not expecting much from! Great array of flavors and all balanced well. However, just not quite worth the price of admission at $16.99 a bomber I believe.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2012 19:10:40 | More by mikeyv35

dtivp

West Virginia

4.23/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a cloudy amber brown with a half finger dirty white head that fades quickly, very little lacing.

Aroma of smoke, vanilla, sweet caramel and. Booze.

Taste follows the nose with smoky oak, sweet caramel, vanilla and booze.

Mouth Feel is medium body, light carbonation, very slick, smooth with a very nice alcohol warming.

Overall a very nice enjoyable ale. Very nice to sip and relax.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2012 18:20:51 | More by dtivp

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Release #11 (April 10, 2012). Poured in to Founders tulip.

A - Murky medium brown with one finger of dirty cream coloured head that quickly receded to a thin layer. Spotty lacing.

S - Caramel, smoke, bourbon, raisins and toffee. Good integration of flavours with no one flavour dominating.

T - Caramel, bourbon and oak up front with no one flavour overpowering the others. Lighter toffee and raisin notes are present in the background. The smoke shows up subtly in the finish with some spice. Fairly sweet overall with a lot of barleywine characteristics.

M - Medium body. Light carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2012 23:39:13 | More by TheSevenDuffs

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Pours a cloudy copper-amber color with a finger of frothy white head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of smoke, oak, and vanilla with cherry, dark fruit, candi sugar, Belgian yeast, some dark caramel malts, and some booze.

T - Starts off with some dark caramel malts with some cherry and other dark fruits with some vanilla. Through the middle, the smoke and oak flavors come through with some Belgian yeast flavors and candi sugars. The finish is a mix of smoke, oak, vanilla, candi sugars, Belgian yeast, and a bit of booze.

M - Medium-plus bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a smoky, warming, and sweet finish.

D - Very drinkable. Nicely balanced with just the right amount of smoke and barrel flavors.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2012 06:16:19 | More by ngeunit1

alysmith4

District of Columbia

3.43/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I got this beer as a birthday gift, and was finally brave enough to try it the other night. I had a bad experience with scotch once, and just can't get past that taste and smell. Unfortunately, this beer was very scotch-like (which for most people is probably a good thing!), so I can't say I enjoyed it. I do think it's a well-crafted beer however, despite my aversion to it.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 17:53:13 | More by alysmith4

womencantsail

California

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer is brown in color with an off-white head. As expected, lots of smoke on the nose. Fairly nutty and a mild meatiness. Just a bit of salt in there as well. A mild sweetness of toffee and brown sugar. The flavor has a nice toffee malt sweetness, more than the aroma, to go along with the pronounced smokiness. Lots of salt, toasted nuts, and a bit of a woodiness.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 21:41:52 | More by womencantsail

trxxpaxxs

New York

3.93/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a funky redish brown with a thin off-white head that settles into an beigh ring around the edges of the glass. There is some lacing as it drinks.

S: The nose is cherries, vanilla, caramel and smoke. Hmm, interesting. The vanilla oak is pronounced, but there is a boozy note to this beer as well.

T: Sweet and malty up front. It's malty with a touch of vanilla. The caramel notes are big in the middle. The finish is boozy and a bit spicy. It's really interesting.

M: Medium bodied beer. Sweet to start and it follows cloyingly. Spicy and boozy in the finish. The flavors linger on the palate for a bit, but slide off in a decent amount of time.

O: This is a solid beer, but it's not amazing. The vanilla oak flavors are spot on, but I feel like this beer just misses out a bit. I like the idea of this brew, but something just doesn;t seem right.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 22:44:21 | More by trxxpaxxs

edproctor

California

4.43/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

a- like a dark amber color, less than half inch head with a slight amount of retention.

s- a really nice balance of smoke and wood...a bit musty, but in a very good way.

t- sweetness! carmel, roasted malts, red apples, deep ruby stone fruit!!! delicious!!!

m- has a deceivingly thick body... goes down extremely smooth. a nice bite of carbonation with the burn from the alcohol... this is a very complex beer!!!

o- overall, a very beautiful ale!!! would drink this again and recommend it to others. i am curious how it would age.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2012 09:08:02 | More by edproctor

KingofHops

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Beautiful light brown pour with light carbonation. Smokey and yeasty bavarian aroma with a hint of sweatness. flavors are distinctly wheat, oak and rye, with a yeast and sweat taste on the backside. Overall good bear, complex and enjoyable, lacks the more traditional elements of a bavarian ale.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 02:11:04 | More by KingofHops

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Release #7.

A: Deep burgundy when backlighted exposes a dense turbidity of swirling particulate matter in the vessel. A whispy desert sand tinted head is weak on the hold but offers some lace.

S: The aroma was decent, oaky alcohol character dominates, some scotch but not much smokiness.

T: The flavor was strong oaky alcohol upfront, scotch laced fruitiness of apples, along with some sugar malt and dry grainy toasted grains. Sweet and boozy, warm alcohol at punch out. The smokiness lies low but offers gentle hints and compliments. Smoked toffee and munich sweetness along with some figs. Nice flavor though the booziness takes over at times.

M: Slippery and syrupy texture, sweet and boozy, low carbonation with a boozy warmth on the swallow.

O: Overall the smokiness is very subtle, the alcohol not so much with a boozy fruitiness that makes this a slow sipper but with an interesting complexity.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2012 13:00:33 | More by beerthulhu

superspak

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22 ounce bottle into tulip glass, batch 9, bottled 11/7/2011. Pours hazy reddish brown color with a small 1 finger fairly dense khaki head with good retention that reduces to a thin ring of lace. Some minimal spotty lacing on the glass. Aromas of big bourbon, caramel, banana, clove, toffee, molasses, apple, raisin, oak, and yeast spices. Some pretty nice aromas with good strength and balance. Taste of big caramel, toffee, raisin, apple, molasses, pepper, clove, banana, oak, vanilla, butterscotch, light bourbon, and light yeast spices. Lingering notes of caramel, toffee, bourbon, oak, molasses, dark fruit, and yeast spices on the finish for a good bit. Some nice balance of malty flavors, with no cloying sweetness. Medium carbonation and fairly full bodied; with a very creamy and slightly slick mouthfeel. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming present after the finish. Quite drinkable but is still definitely a sipper. Overall this is a nice and very enjoyable Belgian style ale. I really did not notice much smokiness at all; however, it had a nice and quite complex malt flavor profile from the bourbon barrel aging. Very enjoyable to sip on.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 04:03:59 | More by superspak

homebrew311

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a medium brown with reddish hues, tan head, decent retention and a bit of lacing. The nose is exactly as described on the label: smokey and oaky. The smoke takes center stage and features a woody char like character. There is a hint of belgian candied goodness that sneaks in at the end. Interesting combo of flavors. The taste is predominantly smoke with waves of bubblegum and clove hanging beneath the surface. The body is medium and has medium carbonation. Overall, I must say this brew is kinda weird. Nothing tastes bad, but the flavors just don't all add up. Worth a try for someone wanting to try something unique.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 04:29:33 | More by homebrew311

kojevergas

California

2.45/5  rDev -36.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

1 pint 6 fluid ounce brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into an EKU 28 snifter in me gaff in Los Angeles, California. Expectations are below average; I had a beer from this brewery before and I wasn't too keen on it.

Served a bit warmer than refrigerator cold and allowed to warm over the course of consumption. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a somewhat pathetic head of a quarter finger, white colour, hardly any cream, decent thickness, and awful retention (even for the high ABV). Colour is a somewhat dark grapefruit-amber. Nontransparent but not opaque. Some floating yeast particles are visible.

Sm: Oak dominates the aroma, with yeast and hints of cherries. Some peat but not quite smoke. A strange off-the-wall aroma that is intriguing but not quite appealing. A mild strength aroma.

T: Some cherry juice notes that are far too strong and tart for the balance. Misplaced oak tones. Awkward peat. Vague fruit esters. A hint of alcohol. No yeast. The peat is too strong. Clean malts are backgrounded. Poorly constructed and badly balanced. The cherry feels artificial and is badly handled. Almost a bit vinegary. No layering, complexity, or subtlety. It's as though the brewers are using all these advanced brewing processes without having mastered the basics. Where's the balance?

Mf: Smooth and wet. Weak and thin. Not carbonated enough. Badly handled. Doesn't suit the flavour profile well at all.

Dr: What is with all the hype for this brewery? This is the second beer from them I've had that I haven't liked at all. Pricey for its limited quality. A big disappointment. I won't be purchasing another Epic Brewing beer unless it's recommended by a friend, has fantastic reviews, or is the only good option. Hard to drink because it's not good. Not quaffable. I wouldn't recommend this to friends or even to fans of the style. A terrible waste of advanced brewing methods and time.

High D+

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2012 07:05:02 | More by kojevergas

SLeffler27

New York

3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours murky chestnut brown with a brief, thin creamy beige head and no lacing.

A light essence of whiskey with oak and sweet alcohol.

Whiskey comes through clear with a light, smoked flavor. The middle has raisins and some molasses while the finish is subtle and long. Overall the balance between bitter and sweet is well done.

A full body and silky texture with warming alcohol and soft, fine carbonation.

An easy-drinking sipping beer. While not quite to style, it is tasty and enjoyable with a book.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 21:14:10 | More by SLeffler27

brentk56

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Release #3; 10.5% ABV

Appearance: Pours a hazy amber color with a very modest head that leaves just a few dots of lace

Smell: Caramel and peat, with a hint of smoke

Taste: Caramel and peat, up front, with the smoke building moderately by mid-palate; slightly sweet and smokey, after the swallow, with a hint toward Scotch whisky

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation; some warmth in the gullet

Overall: I enjoyed this beer, but I really think it is being mis-marketed; perhaps if they called it what is is (a smoked and oaked Scottish ale) it would score better

Thanks, Douglass88, for the opportunity

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 21:59:48 | More by brentk56

GameChicken

North Carolina

4.45/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Poured into a New Belgium glass. The appearance was a nice mahogany tone with decent head and good lacing. You can see the barrel remnants loating amongst the body of the beer.

S - I immediately picked up a delicious smokey, peat smell...somewhat reminiscent to a single malt scotch, but not that extreme.

Taste - Probably biased, but this is one of my favorite beers of all time. So much going on....smoke, barrel aged goodness, smooth finish.

M - Nice stickiness, and mouth coating....little carb, and a smooth finish given all that is going on with this beer.

O - I wish that this could be a staple in the Epic rotation. Definitely a great cold weather beer, and if you are a fan of smoked foods, you should like it. I would sip this year round.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 00:46:17 | More by GameChicken

gford217

Georgia

3.43/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle.

Pours clear amber with a small bubbly beige head that recedes and leaves little lacing.

Aroma is ever-so-slightly smoked with lots of sweet Belgian yeast esters and caramelized sugar.

Taste is more of the same with the sweetness of the Belgian yeast and dark fruits melding with the lightly smoked malts.

Mouthfeel is light bodied for the style with soft carbonation.

This is a subtle beer all the way around. Light sweetness, light smokiness, easy drinking but nothing memorable.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 02:53:59 | More by gford217