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

womencantsail

California

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
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

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to nmann08 for sharing this bottle last weekend. Served in a Cigar City snifter.

Pours a fairly-clear light brown-copper color with a good white head and a bit of lacing. The nose has a moderate amount of oak plus some semi-sweet malts. Smoke is moderate. The flavor is similar. Everything is really muddled and "in between," though nothing is really off. The smoked character isn't too heavy as to be overpowering, which is refreshing. Light-medium body. Interesting, but probably not something that I would come back to.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 00:56:33 | More by Thorpe429

brentk56

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +4.9%
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

UCLABrewN84

California

3.98/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at The Surly Goat in West Hollywood, CA.

Pours a murky brown with a khaki head that settles to an oily film on top of the beer. Small streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, smoke, wood, and whisky notes. Taste is much the same with an alcohol kick on the finish. There is a very dry quality to this beer with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with a nice balance between the smoke and the barrel aging.

Serving type: on-tap

06-10-2012 04:40:01 | More by UCLABrewN84

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.98/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served in a Duvel tulip glass.

Thanks to JayQue for this bottle!

Perhaps this would reach pure perfection if it were also yolked...? Either way, it pours a mostly clear magenta-ruby topped by a finger of light tan foam. The nose comprises caramel, candi sugar, banana, clove, light Band-Aid, and a small wave of honey-glazed ham after a little bit o' time sniffing at things. The taste holds notes of caramel, clove, black pepper, banana peel, vanilla, orange peel, honey, and a sort of bitter Band-Aid. The smoke isn't exactly pervasive, and never really achieves any kind of smokiness, just elastic strips that are used to stem the tide of blood flowing from breaks in the skin. All I know is that it doesn't taste very pleasant. The body is a straight medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a lightly syrupy feel. Overall, an okay beer, but the smoke (if you can call it that) doesn't help anything, and the oak does very little, if anything. Not really a fan, here...just disappointed...

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2011 04:04:04 | More by TMoney2591

Mora2000

Texas

4/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to thirdeye11 for sharing this bottle.

A smoked Belgian beer? What is not to love about that?

The beer pours an amber color with a white head. The aroma is heavy on the meaty smoke, but there is also a little bit of toffee hidden in there. The flavor is toffee, caramel, heavy smoke, meat and BBQ. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

I really couldn't get any Belgian characteristics out of this beer, but the smoke is very well done.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2010 07:22:41 | More by Mora2000

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +5.7%
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

Wasatch

Utah

2/5  rDev -48.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

22oz. Bomber
Exponential Series
1800 Bottles Produced
Release #1
$11.89 ea.

Poured into a chalice a amber color, some carbonation, fizzy white head, which leaves pretty quickly, with some sticky lacing. The nose is, malty, with some yeast, caramel. The taste is malty, yeast note. Medium body. Barely Drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2010 21:09:10 | More by Wasatch

mdfb79

New York

3.58/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From 01/15/12 notes. Thanks to nmann08 for sharing this one.

a - Pours a medium amber color with two inches of white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of fruity malts, light spice, smoked malts, peat. Less smoked than I was expecting, and decently fruity.

t - Tastes of smoked malts, smoked bacon, fruity malts, caramel, toasted and roasted malts. Much more smoke here than in the nose.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation.

o - Overall a decent smoked beer. Nose isn't overpowering, and has some nice fruit, and then the taste hits you with a ton of smoke. Worth checking out if you liked smoked beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2012 21:33:30 | More by mdfb79

corby112

Pennsylvania

4.2/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an opaque dark mohogany/chestnut brown color with dark ruby edges.  Thin half finger off white head that immediately fades.  Minimal lace.  

Earthy oak aroma with smokey malt notes underneath.  Hints of charcoal, bacon, BBQ  and butane along with caramel sweetness and toasted oak.  The barrel aging tones down smoke but adds complexity to the nose.  

Medium bodied with a really nice balance of earthy, toasted oak, burnt wood and vanilla along with smoked malt notes.  Hints of charcoal, campfire, bacon and caramel sweetness.  Sweetness and oak balance out extreme smoked notes very well.  Good amount of alcohol heat in the finish.  Well balanced and pretty tasty.  

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2011 16:42:58 | More by corby112

beerthulhu

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev -3.4%
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

kojevergas

California

2.45/5  rDev -36.5%
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

mothman

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a copper amber color. A layer of beige head with a little bit of lace left.

Aroma: Smoke and some roasted malts. Liquid bacon. A hint of whiskey and some oak. Light spice.

Taste: Much like the nose, but more bacon flavors. The whiskey adds a nice layer. Fairly oaky. Campfire smoke. Where are the Belgian flavors?

Mouthfeel: Smoked and dry. Medium bodied with a medium amount of carbonation. Ends with more smoked flavors.

Overall, this was a decent beer, but I would have never guessed this to be a Belgian. It reminds me more of a German rauchbier. Decent stuff.

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2011 01:10:28 | More by mothman

JohnGalt1

Idaho

2.75/5  rDev -28.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Inflatablechair opened this one a while back.. Thanks Sammy.

Pours a hazed orange with a decent lite tan head.

Nose is a pretty standard Belgian strong ale... overly phenolic IMO... tons of clove and quite a bit of band-aid... the phenols go a good way to masking the smoke and the oak... in fact, I get no oak at all... the smoke is more of a bacon aroma.

Flavor is about the same.... sorta acrid bacon with a syrup sweet maltiness... again, the phenols seem stale and medicinal.. tastes like a medicine chest... the sweetness is accentuated by a brutal estery presence... thick apricot and overripe plum.... not digging this one at all.

body and carbonation are both about right... medium...

I need to revisit this one, but I hesitate given the $$$ price tag.

3.5/3/2.5/3.5/2.5

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2011 07:20:24 | More by JohnGalt1

gford217

Georgia

3.43/5  rDev -11.1%
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

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev -1.6%
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

ngeunit1

California

4.43/5  rDev +14.8%
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

billab914

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 22oz bottle into my Bruery tulip. It poured a murky caramel color with a modest, frothy head barely covering the top of the beer.

The aroma shows a lot of the sweeter, caramel malts to it. I get just a little of the smoke along with some crisp, tart fruits.

The taste shows more of the sweeter, caramel malts to it up front. Midway it seems all about the Belgian yeast and crisp fruits, while the finish is where the smoke really shines. It's very cool how the flavors change so much and how different they are. The smoke in the finish is probably my favorite while up front it feels a little more overly sweet and unbalanced.

The mouthfeel is leaning towards the heavier side with carbonation being moderate. Overall it was a decent beer, I liked the smoke to it but it also felt a little overly sweet and sugary at times. It was a neat range of flavors, but they didn't really come together all that well.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2012 03:33:13 | More by billab914

emmasdad

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to inflateablechair for sending this one out as an extra in our last trade. Shared this one with schmittymack tonight. Poured a hazy amber color with a big white head. Aromas of smoked fish, oak, caramel and yeast. Medium bodied with flavors of oak, yeast, sweet malt, wood and smoke

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2011 02:49:25 | More by emmasdad

DavoleBomb

Ohio

4.18/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a snifter. Release #5 with an ABV of 9.9%.

3.5 A: Ruddy brown color. Two fingers of short lived frothy beige head. No lacing.

4.5 S: I went searching for some smoke and I found it. Moderate smokiness offers what I wanted without impinging on the other aromas. Oak, too, is plentiful and perhaps more so than the smoke. Whiskey is right behind offering peat, leather, and apple fruitiness. Caramel adds a sweet maltiness to this that rounds off the main flavors. The Belgian character is minimal, but that's only because the other flavors are so strong. If you dig deep enough you will find clove and pepper spiciness that complement the main flavors.

4.0 T: Soft and welcomed boozy whiskey bite up front. Oak and vanilla after that. Smoke isn't as strong in the taste, but does complement well. Whiskey adds a hefty dose of apple, leather, peat, and melon. The Belgian character is much more pronounced. Light fruits, pepper and clove spice, and some plum to round things off.

4.0 M: Lighter medium body. Good moderate carbonation. My only complaint is that the carbonation isn't a bit spritzier.

4.5 T: Epic is killing it right now for me. They make some duds, but I haven't had any in a while. Based on the trends in the reviews, it seems like they are improving with every new batch.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 02:05:45 | More by DavoleBomb

superspak

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -2.8%
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

Pencible

Virginia

3.68/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: This poured a cloudy dark copper with almost no head.
S: It smelled like banana nut bread and smoked malt, with a little caramel and ham.
T: It tasted like ham and banana nut bread, with some smokey barley and metallic hops. It had a bittersweet and smokey aftertaste that was a bit harsh.
M: It was somewhat thick with moderate carbonation. Nice body.
D: This was a pretty nice beer. The scent and taste were good, like half dubbel and half rauchbier. The body was good too, and the alcohol was well hidden, so it was pretty easy to drink. Not sure if it will improve with age. It's nice fresh, but enjoyable mostly just as a one time novelty.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 01:24:09 | More by Pencible

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +2.3%
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

mcallister

Ohio

4.25/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 5
9.9% alcohol.

Nice rustic looking completely opaque deep amber colored, almost milky with a thick dense light tan head that quickly fades into a tiny topper.

Fantastic aromas waft from my tulip. Cherry wood is very evident and effervescent. Light vanilla, oak, toffee, aromas, with some meaty aromas as well. Bacon, lavendar, other floral notes, hints of clove, and more complex and wonderful.

Again, delicious. Very balanced, nothing overpowering. Smokey and again evident cherry wood blends perfectly with sweet vanilla oak, chocolate, toffee, and burnt caramel, belgian yeast flavors, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, cherry, pommegranate, blueberry, and more. Mouth could be a little more creamy but otherwise top notch. Great beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 20:44:26 | More by mcallister

homebrew311

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev -0.8%
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