Big Bad Baptist - Epic Brewing Co.

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A coffee story from intro to epilogue. Black as night, oily texture, sweeter side with chocolate. The coffee wafts, it is much more coffee composition than coffee stouts. Some roasted malt. Good for what it is, it is surprisingly drinkable at 11% abv.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2012 03:19:59 | More by northyorksammy

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

4/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch #2. Bottled 11/28/11 and brewed with Tanzanian Rimini coffee (from Epic's website). Poured from a bottle into a Brooklyn Brewery snifter. Very dark pour. Lightly carbonated. Thin tan head with rapid dissipation. The nose has a lot of coffee on it. GOOD coffee. It smells like fine roasted coffee beans (not bitter old coffee). There's so much coffee on it, I don't seem to get much else.

Very interesting flavor. The strong coffee components come in very quickly and hit you with their bitterness. My first impression was one of disappointment for having missed out on any malty sweetness. However, the bitterness is not overwhelming and at mid-palate, some oak and cocoa flavors join in and match their bitterness to that of the coffee. At the back of the palate, there's a bit of alcohol warmth and a slight touch of whiskey that lingers a bit on the finish with the coffee. The body is very full and the mouthfeel is slightly oily and mouthcoating.

You gotta love a beer from Utah called ``Big Bad Baptist". I would love to give this beer higher marks simply because it's one of the ``coffee-est'' stouts I've had, but it's just a little too bitter for me to rate it any higher than I have. Still, it has a lot of flavor and if you like bitter beers, you'll probably flip over this. For me, it would have been better with a bit more sweetness to balance out all that coffee and cocoa. Also, for a whiskey barrel-aged beer, it doesn't have much vanilla or bourbon flavor to it. Still, a solid and enjoyable beer that I may buy again simply to see how it ages. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2012 00:54:05 | More by deadonhisfeet

Holland

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: jet black, just as a coffee stout should be. Decent sized tan head, low lacing, heavy looking.

S: coffee, coffee, coffee, chocolate, malt.

T: delicious for a coffee stout, but I get little if any of the barrel flavor. Maybe that just blends so well into the beer I don't notice that the vanilla and toffee notes are from the whiskey, or maybe the coffee and stout overpowered the barrel.

M: fairly thick, but still well carbonated enough for my liking.

O: great coffee stout, but I might be missing the barrel on this one. Still very drinkable, something that some people enjoyed who don't care for stouts. Thanks to Mister_Joshy for sending me this one in a trade!

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 19:09:10 | More by Holland

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.99/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

From Steasy66, thanks man! Release #3.

Appearance. Pours a a deep chocolate brown, black in the glass with 1.5 fingers of creamy tan head that paints the sides of the glass.

Smell. Whiskey, chocolate, vanilla and old barrel. Maybe a little bit of coffee, but wouldn't have guessed it was in there.

Taste. Dark chocolate, lots of wood and woody vanilla, some sharp whiskey and dark roasted coffee in the finish.

Mouthfeel. Full body with medium+, smooth and soft carbonation, quite creamy and nice. There's a little astringent alcohol, but nothing too upsetting.

Overall. A very nice stout with lots of barrel but maybe not as much coffee as I would have liked.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 22:37:18 | More by Rutager

Scotchboy

Idaho

3.98/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Big Bad Baptist, on-tap @ Bier:Thirty in Bound Crossing. This is Batch #7; not sure how much batch variation has been encountered with this beer. Poured into a snifter, review from notes:

A: Opaque body with a huge tan head (impressive for a BA beer with adjuncts added) that recedes to a constant ring.

S: Tons of coffee with hints of smoke...a bit of boozy sweetness. There is an underlying whiskey note, but no real oak or vanilla, its just spirit.

T: Semi-acrid coffee on the front of the palate, with a moderate roasted malt component...hints of smoke and char again...mocha...the spirit burn on the back of the throat meshes pretty well with the notes of coffee and buried chocolate.

MF: Thinner and closer to medium than full...lighter to medium carbonation, light alcohol presence on the finish.

O: Decent but not great. I don't go gaga for this like a lot of guys buts a solid BA coffee stout.

Serving type: on-tap

11-07-2012 16:49:23 | More by Scotchboy

katan

Colorado

3.98/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz into a pint

A - Pours a deep black motor oil color with just about the same texture. Little mocha colored head, breaks down to a film fairly quickly.

S - Hefty coffee flavor, roasted with a few burnt notes. I catch a little bit of deep flavors of chocolate, maybe even chipotles.

T - Starts off roasty, deep - with little bits of a campfire. Gets more coffee flavors, deep and dark. Chocolate and a little bit of oak in the middle. Hopping well hidden. Finishes with a burnt sticky flavor.

M - Strong body, moderate to lighter in carbonation by comparison. High alcohol is hidden pretty well. I get some burnt flavors sticking to the tongue.

O/D - An interesting big coffee stout. A bit hefty to the palette, the burnt flavors become very dominant. Alcohol is pretty potent, this one is a slow long sipper - fortunately the beer's style plays that way. A bit filling from its full bodied nature.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 03:25:40 | More by katan

BearsOnAcid

Massachusetts

3.95/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Heard good things. Batch #2, just released I believe.

Dark brown to black pour. Some clarity in the light. Small coffee colored head.

Picking up a lot of coffee in the nose. Roasted malts, dark chocolate, but mostly dominated by coffee.

Taste had even more coffee. It was very bold and robust. Chocolate underneath. Bitter with a medium sweetness for an imperial stout. I had a little trouble picking up the whiskey barrel. At times, I tasted some vanilla, oak, and maybe some honey but it wasn't very forward at all so I wasn't sure if I was just imagining it. Mouthfeel was thinner than I'd like.

This was a nice surprise from Epic and definitely worth a try. Excellent price too. I hope they get some more character from the barrel for the next batch. This coud be a good substitute for Bourbon County Coffee.

Serving type: on-tap

01-20-2012 15:42:43 | More by BearsOnAcid

Viciousknishs

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- pours a solid black color with a finger and a half of creamy beige colored head. Good retention no lacing.

S- huge one two bunch of roasty malt and espresso roast oily coffee beans. The middle is cocoa nibs and rich gourmet dark chocolate. Soft oak tones on the finish with a touch of whiskey.

T- huge dark roast French press coffee(just had some this morning) permeates this brew with layers of oily coffee bean and double shot espresso. The cocoa nibs come out in the middle with a bit of dark chocolate as well. Some roasty malt blends in as well with a slight char. Soft oak and a touch of burnt caramel hit the palate on the finish with a whisper of whiskey and alcohol warmth.

MF- oily coffee like mouthfeel with a medium body and low carbonation.

D- good drinkability

Overall the coffee dominates the brew with other flavors coming in softer and subtle. Pretty tasty if you like coffee.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 03:42:00 | More by Viciousknishs

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

3.93/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Draft poured into a snifter

A: Pours pitch black with a heavier than normal consistency and light brown bubbles that favor a coffee's creme.

S: Aroma is all coffee with hints of bitter roasted malt and some chocolate sweetness as well.

T/M: Flavor adds a dimension of smokiness to the coffee and bitter malt. Bubbles are tiny and lend a creamy mouthfeel. There's a little bite from the alcohol, which is tamed, but also thins the beer out.

This is a well balanced, strong stout with an enhanced coffee profile that adds character.

TheBeerAlmanac.com

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2012 02:12:57 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

vkv822

Oregon

3.93/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

on-tap at Belmont Station.
from notes.

Pours black with a foamy, creamy looking light brown head.

Big chocolate and faint roast.

More chocolate and roast coffee in the taste as well.

Medium-light body with bubbly, medium carbonation.

Enjoyable Imperial Stout, chocolate and coffee for the most part, with the body sitting slightly on the lighter side for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

04-30-2012 05:29:25 | More by vkv822

Magpie14

Michigan

3.93/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Release #7.

A: velvet pour. Inky brownish black in color with soft cocoa cream cap. Looks sumptuous.

S: the nose suggests dark fruits and coffee. Whiffs of oak and whiskey can be noted as well. Not to involved overall. Not as big as I was planning.

T: sipping unlocks whiskey soaked coffee beans, bitter cocoa, ripe currants, and burnt oak. To me, the collection of flavors struggle to meld well. Not that it is bad, it's just a little lackluster. The tail end of each sip is occupied with whiskey and then burnt/charcoal bitters. Warming helps a little and brings a nice smoothness, helps round out the flavors a little.

M: smooth with moderate to heavy body. Standard for the style.

O: enjoyable and worth the trying. I will reach for others when spending/considering $12.99 for a bottle. Epic is fairly new to the market here in Michigan and this is my first Epic brew. Overall, it is nothing near "epic" in character, rather it is just shy of a "great" beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2012 15:23:32 | More by Magpie14

zaphodchak

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

One finger tan head, black body, nice lace.

Nose is coffee grounds, and rich ones, too. But pretty much nothing else.

*Huge* coffee taste. Some bitter cocoa, subdued bourbon, decently balanced, on the bitter side.

Rich and thickly textured.

A stout that's both rich and dry... rare. Incredibly coffee heavy. I can only wonder what aging would do.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 01:30:55 | More by zaphodchak

MaxSpang

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

APPEARANCE

Hey, this a stout here. It's dark, and it's viscus. It had a smidge of a khaki head that went away fast. Only a little bubbles crept up the glass. What else can you say about this Big Bad Baptist?
SMELL

Coffee dominates the nose at first. It's followed up by a nice amount of bitter dark chocolate. After awhile, the whiskey comes through and brings a tinge of alcohol, but it doesn't smell boozey. There's a little bit of bread notes a well as some slight raisin and dark fruits. It's definitely heavy on the coffee, but isn't completely overpowered by it.

TASTE

Like the nose, coffee dominates the palette. The first sip was almost all coffee. Subsequent tastes brought in the dark chocolate in a big way. The whisky is present, and comes through toward the end. There's a lingering sweetness toward the end as well, which brightens the chocolate character. The bitterness is also high, from the hops, coffee, and bitter chocolate. There's a little liquoroce after taste. This isn't as boozy as expected, but it does have a little heat as the beer warms in the class.

MOUTHFEEL

This has got some definite body. It's pretty big on residual sugars, and it's not the easiest drinker. It has a slighlty dry finish, but it isn't smooth per se. The carbonation is medium, and only slighty foams up in the mouth. It's a good example of a "meatier" Imperial Stout.

OVERALL

This is a tasty beer! It's not as polished as other similar beers (Founders KBS, for example) but it's still a good brew. It could stand a little age on it to smooth out, but it's very nice fresh. The name implies that perhaps omeone was sending a message in the land of Mormons, but the massage I'm getting is that this is good beer.

Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2011 23:44:50 | More by MaxSpang

crewfan16

Minnesota

3.9/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

the girlfriend surprised me with two bottles of release #1. poured from a bomber to a snifter.

a- looks completely black to me. khaki colored head doesnt rise too high, but its 11.7 %, so I didnt expect a ton of head.

s- tons of coffee grounds on the nose and some bittersweet chocolate. just a hint of oak and whiskey.

t- again with tons of coffee, but the chocolate comes out way more. just a light tingle of whiskey and oak at the end. nice flavors but seems to lack a little of that complex heavy punch that i expect from a huge imperial stout

m- a tad light for the style. flavors linger on the palate nicely, but lacks the heavy thick feel of a great imperial stout. abv is hidden nicely though, which is a nice plus.

overall, I had mixed feelings on this brew. the coffee and chocolate flavors were great, but the whiskey and barrel again didnt seem to come out much. it was also a little light texture-wise. if offered again, I would definately have some, but I dont know if i would put in the extra effort to find this somewhat rare beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2011 03:49:54 | More by crewfan16

output01x

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz. capped bottle (Release #1) into a snifter glass.

A vigorous pour yields a 1 1/2-finger tan-colored head that fades over the course of a couple minutes to a thick, clumpy dusting and thick foam ring. The body is a nice near black with no traces of color when held to light. Some decent lacing can be seen throughout consumption.

A subdued whiskey (almost like well liquor) aroma is the first and strongest character of the nose. Some baker's chocolate and roasted coffee beans aromas are also there but take a little digging to find.

Dark and bittersweet chocolate, freshly roasted coffee beans, concentrated espresso, and just a touch of dark fruit (black cherry?) all hit the tongue at first sip. As the beer is swallowed, dark and milk chocolate flavors really come out along with more espresso. Just a hint of bourbon-like alcohol warmth is noticed in the back of the throat. A nice black coffee aftertaste settles in between sips.

Medium to full bodied with moderate carbonation, this beer isn't as creamy as it is silky. The body is a bit on the light side for an 11.7% ABV Imperial Stout, which helps to keep this beer from becoming overly sticky and syrupy (which it is neither). The carbonation is almost unnoticeable but is definitely doing a fantastic job in the background. This beer really slides over the tongue smoothly while coating it completely.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 06:56:58 | More by output01x

masterofsparks

Ohio

3.9/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a real coffee bomb of a beer, like Founders Breakfast Stout but even more so. The smell and the taste are overwhelmingly coffee-forward. Chocolate flavors lurk in the back, and the barrel character is nicely understated. A lot of barrel aged stouts go crazy with the booze/barrel character, but this one pulls it back nicely.

Whether or not you like this will really depend on your feelings on coffee-forward beers. This is honestly the most coffee-forward stout I've ever tasted, so if this is going to be a problem, I'd skip this one. The coffee flavor is so powerful that you will have no choice but to sip this beer. I savored it over the course of a cold winter night and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Will try again.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 15:23:05 | More by masterofsparks

Beerandboards

New Mexico

3.86/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Batch #8, reviewed 12/30/12

Poured from a bomber into a snifter.

A - pours almost black, poured pretty cold, so a small amount of head forms and dissipates to a ring and some whisps. Lightens a little on the edges when held to the light. Second pour after warming a little doesn't produce much more in the way of head.

S - Coffee forward and coffee dominates throughout. Also some vanilla and a little bit of the bourbon whiskey. Some oak-y barrel as well. Petty nice,if not a little thin.

T - COFFEE. This is almost a coffee bomb. Medium roast coffee dominates the whole show. It's good, near great, but the coffee dominates. There are notes of vanilla and bourbon, as well as some roasty elements as well. There is some hop bitterness to finish. Can't quite decide whether I don't like it or if I really like it. At first I found it a little bit of a turn off, but I find it keeps me wanting another sip. Nice element I suppose.

M - above average. Low carbonation, thick. No complaints here.

O - I would definitely buy this again. I put it in the like it but don't absolutely love it. The interplay between the coffee dominance and the hop bittering at the end was interesting. I like coffee beers, and this one was very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2012 06:54:53 | More by Beerandboards

corby112

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark chocolate brown color with a one finger mocha head that quickly settles into a lasting ring. Spotty lacing left behind.

Roasted malt aroma with a very strong coffee bean and dark chocolate presence along with a well integrated barrel character. Deep roasted gourmet coffee, dark chocolate, toast and oatmeal complimented by toasted oak. Subtle booze/whiskey in the nose.

Medium bodied with some tight carbonation and a very dry, roasted malt presence that dominates the flavor, lingering into a dry finish. Slightly acrid, heavily roasted coffee bean and bitter dark chocolate notes along with some toffee and oatmeal. Barrel character is most prominent toward the finish with dry, toasted oak complimenting the roasted malt profile and faint boozy whiskey sweetness providing warmth in the finish. Whiskey notes are there but subtle, allowing the other flavors to come through. As it warms the richness from the cocoa and dark malts shine but it's still a bit strong in the roast department for my liking.

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2011 04:36:13 | More by corby112

busternuggz

Arizona

3.83/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a snifter.

Opaque brown-tinged black with a 1/4" mocha head. Head recedes to a thin ring but comes back nicely with a swirl. Leaves some spotty lacing.

Initially the smell is dominated by a nice rich coffee bean scent. As it warms some bittersweet chocolate and whiskey barrel comes through. So pretty much just the adjuncts and barrel in the scent, still nice and rich even if it isn't too complex.

Rich coffee comes out first in the taste too, followed by whiskey barrel and a nice overbaked chocolate chip cookie note. It then fades nicely into some roasted/charred malt, milk chocolate, and somewhat sharp whiskey barrel, the different tastes blending well. More chocolate comes out as it warms. Finishes fairly bitter with some acidic coffee and slightly astringent oak (and hops possibly). Has a medium sweetness balanced by the whiskey and oak. The astringency lingers too long for me, particularly as it gets warmer.

The texture comes on medium bodied and syrupy but ends a little thin. It contributes unpleasantly to the astringency in the end.

Overall I enjoyed it, fairly complex with the notes blending well. Grading to style, it didn't hold up to other imperial stouts I liked more, but still very good. I think the adjuncts and (to a lesser extent) the whiskey barrel overpowered the base beer a little, and I didn't really like the astringent finish, but fairly rich and nicely balanced.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2012 00:44:06 | More by busternuggz

rapidsequence

Virginia

3.78/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle. $11.40 from Pints O'Plenty.

Appearance: Pitch black. Good looking tan colored head with surprisingly goog retention. Nice looking spotty lacing.

Smell: Strong coffee and bittersweet chocolate. Caramel, vanilla, a hint of smoke, and a bit of leather.

Taste: Its on the bitter-roasty side, and a bit of heat and bitterness from the whiskey barrels accentuates this. Residual sweetness from the malt and the sweeter cocoa and vanilla flavors balance it somewhat, but this one stays a bit on the harsh side due to roasty bitterness and alcohol burn. There is nice complexity of flavors, but its out of balance at this stage of its life.

Mouthfeel: The body if the beer is nice and big, but is cut and thinned by the hot alcohol. The burn steals what would otherwise be a big, soft, fullmouthfeel. Still pretty good though.

Overall: I think this beer needs some time to mellow and meld. There are lots of nice flavors that I think will come together nicely. I wish I had one to age. This beer is probably better than my review numbers indicate.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 01:16:39 | More by rapidsequence

matttttYCE

Arizona

3.78/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Review from notes. This was a batch 4 bottle.

Poured into a brandy snifter, the head is about 2 fingers, foamy tan. Fades with a moderate rate. Little lacing. The color is a seriously dark black. Pours with a bit of a viscosity to it as well

I would say that the aroma is dominated by coffee. Don't get me wrong, it's a pleasant aroma, but the coffee might be a little too much in this case. Anyways, the aromas at play here are tons of coffee, like I just ground up some nice dark roast beans (reminds me of Sumatra), then behind that are some big notes of fudge and dark chocolate, some rich roasted malts, smokiness or along with possible hints of vanilla. I wish I were detecting some more bourbon (and all the nuances that come with it), but sadly, I am not.

The taste is, again, dominated by coffee. I get a moderately strong dark roast black coffee taste along with notes of fudge, syrupy dark chocolate, roasted malts, smoke, char, and ash (though not necessarily bad). Again, I wish I could say I'm getting notes of bourbon or any of the flavors that come along with it, but I simply don't taste it.

The consistency is rich and velvety, the carbonation is medium, the body is full and almost syrupy, and the finish is a bit lingering and more wet than dry.

Overall this beer was nice but I wouldn't say I was too impressed with it. In fact I was more let down than anything at the fact that I couldn't really detect hints of barrel aging. The fact that this beer advertises bourbon barrel aging and doesn't evidence it sucks. What this is is a decent coffee stout. In fact, when I think of coffee stouts, it's up there with some of the nicer ones I've had the pleasure of having. But when I consider this as a barrel aged stout (with added qualities like being brewed with cocoa nibs or with coffee beans) it's somewhat lacking.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2012 02:05:54 | More by matttttYCE

Mahlik

Oregon

3.73/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bomber from Belmont Station. Poured into a snifter. Reviewed from notes.

A - Pours an opaque black with a one-finger tan-colored head. Head seems to dissipate rather quickly, leaving behind some good lacing. Appears to be quite viscous.

S - Coffee, coffee and more coffee. Notes of cocoa float about in the background. I only get marginal hints of oak. It seems that the whiskey barrel aging didn't do much for the aroma.

T - Again, lots of roasted coffee. The roasted malts, cocoa and dark chocolate become more apparent in the taste. The whiskey and oak pop out a little more but still nothing significant.

M - The mouthfeel is nice on this beer. It's full-bodied and creamy without being too viscous. Moderate carbonation. The alcohol is hidden well. The only time I really felt its presence is in the aftertaste.

O - A good imperial stout from a brewery I'm new to. I wish the whiskey/oak/barrel-aging characteristics were a bit more prevalent. The coffee seemed to dominate the other aromas/flavors.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2011 23:48:33 | More by Mahlik

morimech

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Release #1

Viscous liquid that is deep black color. Half inch of head forms and settles quickly to a thin cap. Moderate amount of spotty lacing is left down the glass.

I get mostly coffee in the aroma. This does not change much even as the beer gets close to room temperature. Just subtle hints of roasted malt, chocolate, and the faintest trace of whiskey.

Coffee forward flavor as well. A little bit of roasted, burnt bitterness from the malt. Slight hint of chocolate. The barrel aging did not impart much flavor. Would of liked more. Alcohol is well hidden. Just slightly warming in the finish. A little unbalanced with the heavy coffee flavor.

Full bodied and close to perfect carbonation. Just a little too fizzy upfront.

The flavor was dominated too much by one element. For the cost of the bottle I wanted a much better executed stout. The barrel-aging needed to come out more. I would still give the next release another try.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 18:46:26 | More by morimech

billab914

Virginia

3.68/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Batch 1 poured from a 22oz bottle into my Stone IRS glass. It poured black in color with a frothy tan head barely covering the top of the beer and clinging to the edges of the glass. Nice lacing as I drank it.

The aroma shows a good amount of roasty, bitter coffee flavors to it. The chocolaty flavors really come out in it as well and mix pretty nicely with the whiskey. Some notes of oak and vanilla smooth it out a little. The coffee is a little dominating, but it's a pretty nice aroma overall.

The taste also has a big roasty and bitter coffee flavor throughout. It's a a little overpowering of the other flavors for me. In the finish I do get some of the dark, bitter-sweet chocolate and whiskey flavors coming out along with just a hint of vanilla.

The mouthfeel is heavy with carbonation being low. Overall it was a pretty decent beer, but the roasty, bitter, coffee was a little overpowering for me. I liked the coffee flavors, it just overshadowed the chocolate and whiskey a little too much for me. A little more balance would have really gone a long way. Pretty decent beer of the style, but not an outstanding one for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2011 01:55:29 | More by billab914

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