Big Bad Baptist - Epic Brewing Co.

schwemjw

Ohio

4.51/5  rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Batch #11

A: Black as night, a standard 1 finger mocha head and has a creamy looking texture. looks like an imperial stout!

S: Dark chocolate, cocoa, coffee and a surprising amount of dark fruit underneath it all. definitely some nice roast and a little spicyness to it. Fantastic!

T: NICE! vanilla, chocolate cocoa shavings, a deep espresso roasted malt with a lot of coffee bitterness. There is definitely a whiskey burn and corn/rye note on the end. There is almost a graham cracker flavor.

M: Not much carbonation, very creamy, but lighter than i expected it to be. you definitely know there is alcohol in this though

O: Excellent stuff! it got better as it warmed up and gave you enough of a burn to know there was some whiskey there. but its complex and balanced. alot of depth. Gonna pick another one up to age! 95 was spot on!

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 06:00:03 | More by schwemjw

vfgccp

New York

4.4/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

#9 (Sep '12) - Ibis Sumatra Dark Coffee, whiskey/bourbon casks, 11.8%

A - Thick, creamy, dark khaki head. Dark black body with thin cola highlights.

S - Nice roast, dark roasted chipotle peppers, dry espresso beans.

T - Awesome flavor profile. Medium roast coffee, milk, 60% cocoa, dry cocoa nibs, espresso beans, light woodiness.

M - Thick, smooth body. Lacks a little bit in depth.

O - An excellent Imperial Stout. Great complexity and integration.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 02:35:55 | More by vfgccp

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

4.34/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

650ml bomber poured into tulip 1/5/13 cheers Rutager for sending the bottle, looks like batch 3 but it also says 12.5% so I'm guessing that 3 is really a partial 8

A black but has a deep cola edge, a finger of dark mocha foam retains well for a monster and leaves a couple thick rings and random patches deeper down the glass

S nose is mellow but solid, coffee and dark chocolate, almost fudge, a little oak and vanilla with a hint of booze, very faint char and a little more coffee to top it off, everything's working for it but it could be stronger

T its the nose but beefed up, coffees very strong and high quality, there's a little booze but I'm thinking 8ish% 12.5%? I'd never guess and I'm not even sure I believe that. the chocolates not as dark but stronger then the nose, a little cream brulee and a faint nutty aspect. The barrels working for the flavor more then the nose, in fact I'd just say its the nose on steroids

M full bodied and creamy from the bubbles, booze is very well concealed and almost scary really, tannins are stronger then I'd guess from the barrel presence, and I'm loving the coco and coffee that just keeps going long after you swallow

O I like coffee and if I didn't I'd hate this beer, seems that it builds right until its in my stomach. great stuff but I could cope with a little more intensity but I'm happy with whats in my glass

I'm impressed how well they hide 12.5%, I feel it but don't really taste or smell it. barrels there but again the base had some power on its own, I'd look for this one and would love to taste how the batches differ

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 01:28:26 | More by wordemupg

mdaschaf

Washington

4.35/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Review from notes.

A: Pours black with a small off-white head on top, quickly reducing to a thin cap. Minimal lacing.

S: Lots of cocoa and chocolate upfront. Some light coffee with nice roasted malt. As it warms the coffee aroma intensifies. The barrel imparts a bit of vanilla.

T: Really nice combination of coffee and chocolate here, both a bold flavors that blend nicely for an almost mocha like flavor. Nice roasted malt underneath with a slight kick from the whiskey barrels.

M: Full bodied with moderate carbonation. Abv hidden nicely, but slightly warm as it goes down.

O: Was very impressed with this beer. Glad that Epic is now in WA.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 15:20:19 | More by mdaschaf

garymuchow

Minnesota

4.19/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Batch #7
Cold snow and rain April night. Seems like a good time.
First whiffs are of heavy coffee and deep dark malt. The barrel aging lends a creamy quality to the aroma as part of the vanilla. The whiskey aroma is mostly background. Hints of the chocolate bits in the periphery.
Pretty much all black. Small dark head that settles to a smear but still leaves a little lacing after the drink. Dark red/brown highlights.
Still fresh enough to be sharp. Big, rather thick and chewy. Small sips fill the mouth with flavor with great endurance. Some heat. Has the complexity of the dark malts, some of the whiskey, some vanilla, bits of chocolate. Warmth pretty darn quickly in the gut. Heavy smooth. The dark malts push to the point too heavy (near burnt- could be the coffee addition). Rather fine carbonation. Aftertaste is strong on coffee with a ground like experience.
This is good. I'm not in love with it. Not sure why, but it's not inspiring a strong reaction. Interesting and well done.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 01:23:08 | More by garymuchow

dogfishandi

New York

4.34/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

22oz bottle at roughly fridge temp poured into a snifter. Release #8 (Sep. 2012) 12.5% ABV- nearly 1 year old.

Pours out opaque black, with a nice cascading dark tan/ light mocha colored head. Fairly decent head retention for such a big beer. Spotty lacing with just a touch of alcohol legs.

Big coffee aromas, combining both ground coffee and some espresso bean, bitter dark chocolate, heavily roasted, almost slightly toasted malts, a bit of booziness comes in as it warms, somewhat whiskey like, but the whiskey barrel characters are surprisingly tamed.

Bitter roasted, toasty malts, sweet caramel, bitter dark chocolate, roasted coffee more mocha like than espresso, a bit of oak and just hints of whiskey, but again its very tamed. Pretty much o booze in the taste.

Really thick, smooth and creamy as it flows across the palate. Rich. Carbonation is kept to a minimum.

A really nice impy stout, my only complaint is that I would've liked a bit more whiskey to show through. Has a nice toasted roasted malt aspect that a lot of these barrel aged stout seem to lack.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 18:51:18 | More by dogfishandi

kemoarps

Washington

4.3/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Batch #6, shared with my sister.

Good almost black colour, though not as viscous as I would imagine. Decent little brown head.

I get drip coffee grounds. A little bourbon on the back end. DARK roast coffee bordering on burnt malts.

The taste follows suit. HUGE coffee favour, but not as dominant as the nose. Bourbon and ash with a creamy finish.
Some notes on the nose and tongue I cant QUITE nail down, but I am REALLY glad my sister brought this up for me.

I'm a big fan. That's all.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 06:16:39 | More by kemoarps

Rizalini

Nevada

4.68/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A big thanks to Jeremy6566 for sending me this Big Bad bomber! Release#9 poured into my Deschutes tulip glass.

A - Pours almost black, with 1 finger of mocha colored head. It fades leaving a ring of brown lace.

S - The smell is amazing on this one! Coffee initally, but as I inhale deeper, I'm getting the bourbon, followed by some chocolate and coconut.

T/M - Wow, there's a lot going on in the taste. Starts out with a big wave of coffee and bourbon. After the initial burst of coffee and bourbon comes the chocolate and coconut. A nice blend of all the flavors. The coffee and bourbon really take center stage, but then the chocolate comes and really rounds out the flavors. It is a little boozy, but at 11.8% that's to be expected. Full mouthfeel, perfect carbonation

O - Hands down one of the best BBA stouts I've ever had. All the flavors are on point, nothing too over powering. Alcohol is there, but very subdued. Excellent brew, and again, a big thanks to Jeremy6566 for this amazing brew!

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 02:27:37 | More by Rizalini

Beerlover

Minnesota

4.65/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

pours black with thin khaki head, smells roasted malty and strongly of coffee. medium low carbonation, smooth on the palate. Taste overwhelmingly of coffee! Great River's "redband" coffee stout is nothing compared to this! tastse like cup of black coffee with no sugar or cream, i wouldn't be surprised if there was 50% or more coffee in this one! no booziness at all or cocoa that i can pick out. the bourbon is also very faint unfortunatly.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 23:12:53 | More by Beerlover

Teleweizen2

New Jersey

4.06/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - pours a deep opaque black. just a thin film of deep chocolate brown foam. leaves lots of spotty lacing with every sip.

S - the nose is intense. strong notes of bourbon, caramel, and coffee all fight for attention. there is a touch of oak and vanilla. hints of chocolate and a whiff of smoke round out the nose.

T - silky hints of chocolate and biscuit-y malt flavors up front. roasty flavors of oily espresso beans come out mid palate. Notes of caramel and hints of vanilla come through along with a touch of bourbon. Finish is roasty and slightly and slightly sweet.

M - full bodied with a creamy texture. medium to high bubbly carbonation.

O - Solid barrel aged coffee stout. It's quite good but it is a bit one dimensional with mostly coffee and bourbon taking over. But it is quite good for the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 01:55:03 | More by Teleweizen2

blakelive784

Colorado

4.08/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

1 pt 6 fl oz brown glass bottle (Release #10) served in a snifter, reviewed from notes:

A - Pours the darkest shade of brown with two fingers of creamy light tan head. Retention is decent for the high ABV, but the head leaves nice cream lacing as it recedes.

S - Sharp dark roast espresso, boozy bourbon soaked oak chips, burnt caramel, semi-sweet chocolates, cream, subtle vanilla and more freshly ground coffee. Amazingly complex and subtle. Seems like it may be pretty boozy, possibly even hot.

T - Espresso heavy latte. Bitter chocolates and coffee. The oak's much more subtle than I'd though it'd be, to its detriment. Subtle bourbon on the finish. Roasted malt body. A bit hot on the back end. The sweetness of the malts counters the bitter coffee notes very well.

M - Full bodied and smooth. Creamy. Not entirely thick.

D - The alcohol is present, but not out of place for the style. The coffee notes on this one are amazing. Highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 21:40:02 | More by blakelive784

flexabull

California

4.26/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Batch #8

Pours a deep dark flat black color with a small tan head.

Aromas are very nice. Lots of coffee up front, both dark roasted beans, and brewed espresso. Some bourbon and cocoa as well.

Taste is smooth, and fairly easy to drink for such a beast of a beer. Coffee forward, but not overly so like I find a lot of coffee stouts. Light bourbon, heavy roasted malts, and cocoa notes. Finish is warm, with some pine bitterness.

Mouthfeel is smooth and soft. About right for the style.

Overall? Very impressive first beer for me from Epic. Well balanced, flavorful, but not overpowering. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 20:38:05 | More by flexabull

ThickNStout

Georgia

4.36/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

22oz bottle from Beerandboards (thanks!). Release #8 (bottled 09/12). Served in a Burnt Hickory snifter.

Pours jet black with one and a half fingers of active, foamy tan head. Head recedes to a ring around the glass and leaves nice patches of lace.

Smells of coffee, whisky, rich roasty malts and caramel. Nice!

Tasty, bold, up front coffee leads. Followed by dark chocolate, whisky, slightly burnt oak, caramel, vanilla and a nice booze bite. It's a well done blend that my description can't do justice to.

Medium full, creamy feel with pleasantly subtle carbonation. Long whiskey infused coffee finish.

While admittedly I haven't had as many barrel aged coffee stouts as I'd like, Big Bad Baptist is far and away the best I've tried so far. The coffee is delicious, not too burnt and stays in the forefront while the whiskey dances around it. Very well done and worth seeking out.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 16:42:51 | More by ThickNStout

standardcherry

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

22 oz bottle poured into a snifter. Writing this review from notes, can't remember which batch it was, I think it was 4.

A: Thick dark brown/black pour. Big mocha colored head that dissipated after a few minutes.
S: Tons of coffee and roastiness. Lots of wood notes followed by bitter chocolate.
T: This is boozy. Lots of chocolate and coffee. Lots of whiskey (peaty flavor) in there as well. Very woody flavor with lots of roasty bitterness. The roastiness was taken too far in my opinion.
M: Silky smooth. Very rich and thick with moderate carbonation.
O: This is a great beer. The roastiness was a bit much but it was still very enjoyable. I would much prefer it without the peat flavors, there should be a bourbon-only version someday.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 05:51:19 | More by standardcherry

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.38/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured into an Elysian snifter. Pours pitch black with a nice one finger brown head with good retention and lots of lacing. Nice aroma of toasted and sweet malt, chocolate, nuts and a hint of wood. Flavor follows aroma with toasted and biscuit malt, chocolate, coffee, nuts; boozy. Finishes with smoke, toasty malt, vanilla. chocolate liqueur and grassy hops. Medium bodied with some creaminess. A very nice flavor progression and the rich flavor almost covers the high ABV. One the dangerous stouts, it constantly invites further tasting, but the alcohol requires paced sipping. Very enjoyable and well made.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 04:18:21 | More by LiquidAmber

omniscientcause

Massachusetts

4.48/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Deep dark black with a tan tint. Slim 1 and a half finger inch head only cause i poured aggressive, some sticky lacing that last throughout the entire duration of the beer.

Smell - Very malty, smokey roasty, charcoal, nutty, coffee, molasses, oak. Some whiskey notes also. A little chocolate and cocoa round this monster out but as the beer warms more coffee becomes present.

Taste - Much like the smell, huge malts, roasted with tons of coffee notes. Strong and bold that drinks nicely over and hour. Nice underline of sweet choclate and cocoa, with a little dark fruit presence.

Mouthfeel - Big beer, punches your tongue with roasted malts, where palate gets more chocolate and cocoa, and the sugars. The aftertaste is malty, coffee and sugary. But it is oh so drinkable for almost 12 percent.

Overall - Its a really nice beer, the only beer I have had from epic, but certainly wont be the last. Huge malty flavor, loads of coffee and some sugars. As it warms it becomes one sided with the coffee flavor, but that isnt a bad thing.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 03:46:30 | More by omniscientcause

mfavoino

Washington

4.58/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a New Belgium globe on 3/2/13.

A: Poured an oily black with one finger of espresso head that retained well. Head receded to a creamy rim covering the body.

S: Tons of roasted coffee jumping out of the glass, roasted malts, sweet milk chocolate. Huge coffee nose.

T: Wow, the roasted coffee comes at the palate right away. Bitter coffee, sweet chocolate, and subtle whiskey barrel as it finishes. Leaves a lingering coffee flavor on the tongue.

M: Thick and creamy with a slight touch of alcohol warmth. Dry finish.

O: I think this is the most coffee flavored stout I've ever encountered. Super flavorful, bold, and decedent. A must have for coffee lovers and those that appreciate a coffee forward Imperial Stout.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 04:10:28 | More by mfavoino

abcentfishing

California

4.34/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Beautiful out of the bottle, nice mocha colored head with that oily look as I swirled the brew around the glass. Dark as night ummm good. The smell was also very nice, little stronger than most stouts I try. Roasty, carmaly, vanilla, and coffee. Very nice nose. The feel was wonderful nice body and nicely blended flavors. Strong coffee flavors and not just coffee but great coffee flavors. Two favorite parts of my day are my morning coffee and my first beer and this had both in it. It has bits of vanilla, carmel, smoke and that milky smoothness I love in a stout. Very nice Another stout I will look forward to having again.

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 03:52:14 | More by abcentfishing

Oxymoron

Colorado

2.26/5  rDev -47.4%
look: 2.25 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2

Pours a midnight black color with a soft tan head. No real retention to speak of even when trying to help it out. Some viscous lingering on the glass.

The nose is coffee forward. Really no other aromas come out. Some maybe minor malt and hint of chocolate but would have liked more balance.

The taste is bit more on par although coffee is dominant. Beyond the coffee is a light chocolate note. Some minor whiskey/fusel notes as it warms but really not much beyond coffee. Again looking for balance here.

The body is moderate with a more astringent finish. Some fusel/hot notes that is more of a distraction than anything. Carbonation is not present. Overall this is more of a call coffee with alcohol than a beer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-04-2013 20:23:47 | More by Oxymoron

cosmicevan

New York

4.31/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

big thanks to hanzo for tossing me this one in the LNBA Secret Santa BIF. enjoyed from my sam adams snifter.

Release 9

a - brew pours a fairly lush and thick black with a thin creamy mocha tan head that hung out for the party. nice chunky lacing giving the head a concave look as the lacing clung to the glass while the head fizzled away.

s - big chocolate covered booze soaked wood. really decadent and rich. the dark coffee is evident and really compliments the smell. everything is in the right place.

t - huge chocolate. dark coffee. i get more whiskey than bourbon, but the wood and booziness is a great match for the beer and the blend.

m - the first thing i noticed about this beer was the feel. super silky. really rich and filling.

o - BIG beer. very rich and very filling, but really tasty. super enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 03:40:17 | More by cosmicevan

barleywinefiend

Washington

4.45/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Poured a big, hearty looking deep, dep brown color, nealry black with a a nice creamy tan head which resedes after a moment leaving a topping of bubbles and moderate lacing

S: The nose is BIG coffee, shit man, did someone just dump my grampas Folgers into my beer BIG. Loads of dark and milk chocolate on the nose as well. You can tell by the little booze sting that this beer is packin heat. I get a moderate dose of whiskey as well.

T: Initial big coffee upfront, wowzers, more Folgers coffee beans, nothing tame about this beer and I love it. A big assertive chocolate presence comes along riding the curtails of the coffee, a blend of deep dark cocoa and a little bit of milk cocoa. The whiskey is sharp, cutting but not overbearing as it knows its role with the coffee being the main stage. A bit of char and light tobacco come to mind as it continues to grow on me. The finish has a bit of an astringency which I find common in big coffee beers, like BCBCS.

M: Hearty, big bodied, perhaps a tweak high on carbonation. It provides a nice warming, coffee flkavor driven, coating mouthfeel thats makes me happy

O: I am glad I scored these. One left and I plan to sit on it for quite some time. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 22:54:41 | More by barleywinefiend

SometimesIfart

Michigan

3.65/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours black, very very very black with a thing mocha head that leaves no lacing.

S - Not picking up a whole lot here. A bit of coffee and molasses and that's about it.

T - Lots of dark coffee and sweet dark chocolate up front, followed by molasses and oak.

M - Very thick body with moderate carbonation. Almost feels like a chocolate milk or something.

O - Overall, it was a heavy coffee stout , however it isn't overally complex. It's very drinkable for 11.8%.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 06:17:14 | More by SometimesIfart

HuskyinPDX

Washington

4.05/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle opened on 2.15.13
Release #8

A - Pours a very dark brown with an active head that slowly fades.

S - Strong coffee, bitter chocolate, subtle whiskey.

T - Whiskey, then chocolate, then strong coffee finish. A touch of booze again.

D - Good carbonation and a heavier body.

O - Nice coffee, chocolate, and a touch of whiskey.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2013 06:58:27 | More by HuskyinPDX

oline73

Maryland

4.23/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from the bottle into a tasting glass.

Appearance: Pours almost black with a layer of tan head that fades fairly quickly. This is a very smooth beer. Roasted malt, coffee, and chocolate. There is just the right level of sweetness. This is a very good imperial stout. I'd definitely have more.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2013 23:22:42 | More by oline73

farrago

New Jersey

4.25/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Slow building head crests at around a finger of dark brown, equal mix of larger bubbles and dense foam, excellent retention which sort of means the lacing gets crowded out, what’s there is isolated chunks which themselves stick well. The liquid as expected is pure black, barely a hint of yellow or orange anywhere, as a result impossible to gauge the carbonation/bubbles visually. The nose is indeed boozy yet also delivers a vast array of sweet scents such as licorice, coconut oil, mocha, café au lait, vanillin oak and a good deal of plum and black cherry fruit scents, produces green apple and floral nuances as well, actually not as punishingly long as it might be and presents itself as gracefully as can be. Full-bodied, average to slightly below average carbonation, not inert but moves like a freighter among ice floes. Loaded with milk chocolate, caramel, butterscotch, coffee ice cream, anise and coconut, it’s like cramming a German chocolate cake down your throat. Not as much black fruit here but also more hoppy bite, on a few sips you sense a latent grassiness struggling to be heard. The orange citrus candied and close to syrupy. Finishes with notes of macadamia and pecan nuts. Lack of carbonation shortens finish but maybe it’s for the best as less monolithic as a result. Excellent beer which just needs some more gym time to loose the flab and tighten up its game. (Release #7)

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2013 01:15:13 | More by farrago