Big Bad Baptist - Epic Brewing Co.

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

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

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

Someguy1_8t

California

4.78/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Release #7 - served in a tulip glass.

Appearance - The color for this was black. It had about a finger of rapidly diminishing head.

Smell - The first aroma to hit me was a strong coffee scent. This was followed by wet oak or wood grilling planks, which I'm assuming comes from the whiskey barrel aging. The aroma was strong enough to smell from about 2-3 feet away. There where also hints of sweet vanilla and chocolate and some booze, again probably from the barrel aging.

Taste - The taste was much like the smell. Bold taste of roasted malts , chocolate and dark roast coffee. There was also vanilla, oak, and a hint of booze.

Mouthfeel- There was a full bodied mouth feel to this one with very little carbonation. Viscous and velvet like. With a lingering of the roasted coffee for a bit.

Overall - I thought this was one of the best Imperial stouts I have ever tried, if not certainly the most interesting and intriguing.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 05:33:37 | More by Someguy1_8t

rangerred

Tennessee

4.08/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Release #10. Poured into a snifter out of a 22oz bomber.

Pours inky black with just a small dark tan head that fades to a ring around the side of the glass. Pretty decent lacing considering the abv.

Coffee is quite prominent in the aroma with hints of dark chocolate. Lots of roasted malt that seems slightly burnt. There is vanilla and just the slightest hint of whiskey buried way in the background.

The coffee carries big time into the flavor mixed nicely with cocoa creating almost a mocha character. Lots and lots of heavily roasted malt that borders on being a bit acrid and charred. There is still just a little bourbon in the background that I wish was a little more prominent. Nice vanilla and caramel touches too. The alcohol is well hidden with just a slight warmth in the back of the throat with a creamy and just slightly sticky mouthfeel.

Overall, a very tasty imperial stout but one that is not quite Earth-shattering. I don't know if I would go out of my way to pick this up but if you do come across it, it is worth drinking.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 02:02:27 | More by rangerred

DaveAnderson

Minnesota

4.18/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.25

Release #7, 11.0% ABV.

I wasn't really planning to review this beer. I just wanted to open in and drink it. But then I smelled it, and knew I would have to review it. So here goes.

A standard pour into a tulip produces a pitch-black liquid and an ethereal, dark tan foam. The head is not aggressive, and it dissipates fairly soon, leaving little lacing. The beer itself is as dark as any I have seen. It's not quite as viscous as some, but it's espresso black.

Coffee is evident to my nose. But chocolate is the dominant smell. And I don't mean it smells like a typical chocolate stout. To me, it smells like one of those chocolates that are 75% or 85% cocoa. The label says it spent time in whiskey barrels, but I would never have guessed.

It tastes like it smells. A hint of coffee, but huge, high cocoa chocolate notes. No oak, no whiskey. And hey -- it's none the worse off for lack of whiskey notes. I sometimes think brewers try to cram too many flavors into a bottle. This one is complex enough as-is.

Mouthfeel is a little thin for such a big beer. Alcohol is well-masked. This one is really easy to drink. It's my favorite beer from Epic so far.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 05:23:44 | More by DaveAnderson

KingEdward

North Carolina

4.98/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This beer is awesome! Smell is of coffee, caramel, and sweet malt. Taste is of dark roasted coffee, vanilla, roasted malt, dark chocolate, and finishes with a boozy whiskey flavor. It looks good with a light brown head that becomes a creamy ring and the beer is jet black. The feel is very thick, creamy, and like velvet. Overall this is a great beer! I will drink as much as i can get!

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 01:02:20 | More by KingEdward

dbrauneis

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Batch #10 - Cocoa Nibs and Coffee in Whiskey Barrels

A: Pours an opaque jet black in color with some very dark amber highlights and a moderate amounts of visible carbonation near the surface. The beer has a three finger tall dense foamy dark mocha head that slowly reduces to a thin film covering the entire surface of the beer, a couple of small thicker patches, and a thin ring at the edges of the glass. Significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Strong aromas of dark roasted malts and green + freshly roasted coffee beans with moderate aromas of oak, whiskey, and cocoa. Lightly bitter in the aroma. Very light notes of vanilla and char.

T: Moderate to strong flavors of green and freshly roasted coffee beans with some more moderate flavors of roasted dark malts. There are some more moderate elements of oak, whiskey, cocoa, vanilla, and charred wood. Light amounts of lingering bitterness.

M: Slightly heavier than medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: This beer is pretty easy to drink considering that it is 12% ABV (roughly) and it is quite enjoyable - the coffee is very present but the whiskey barrel is not as much. Very enjoyable but definitely a sipping beer considering the strength.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 02:33:14 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

4.3/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A: The beer is absolutely jet black in color. It poured with a two finger high dark tan head that died down a bit and left a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and a small collar around the edge of the glass.
S: There are moderately strong aromas of coffee beans n the nose along with some hints of roasted malts.
T: The taste shares some similarities with the smell in terms of flavors of coffee beans and also has notes of whiskey and hints of roasted malts The roasted toffee beans linger throuh the finish and overall become stronger as the beers wrms up.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: For a beer of this strength, the alcohol is well hidden from the taste.

Note: Batch #10

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2013 02:31:26 | More by metter98

chanokokoro

Illinois

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

Fairly aggressively poured from a 22 oz. bottle labeled as Release #7 into an unbranded short stemmed tulip/snifter

Pours a motor oil darkest brown bordering on black capped by a two finger fluffy tan head. Some retention, which is unusual for barrel-aged stouts, and even a hint of lacing. The nose is wonderful, espresso, dark chocolate, toasted oak, roastiness, and some whiskey-tinged booziness. The balanced flavor of this brew is amazing: cocoa powder, roastiness, rich dark coffee notes, charred oak, some hints of vanilla and integrated whiskey. Finishes smooth with roasted coffee and dark chocolate. Full-bodied, slick and smooth with some underlying creaminess. Overall this brew is a masterpiece and shows a level of balance rarely found in big, barrel-aged imperial stouts. Impressive on every level.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2013 05:05:12 | More by chanokokoro

notchucknorris

California

4.49/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

A: Pours a rich black color with a dense looking one finger mocha colored head. Looks amazing. Exactly what I look for in a stout.

S: Crazy dark coffee. Someone else noted black iced coffee and I get that. You can tell that the coffee is really high quality. Espresso, dark chocolate covered coffee beans, some faint vanilla and some char. The smell is a little faint, but what I can pick out is really good.

T: The coffee absolutely dominates this beer, but that's a very good thing because this is some bomb coffee. Opens with a touch of dark chocolate and roasted malt. Then comes a huge wave of dark roasted coffee. The finish brings just a hint of whiskey, some anise, charred wood and burnt coffee grounds. Mouthfeel is slightly creamy and rich without being too thick and syrupy. Really nicely done.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2013 02:01:20 | More by notchucknorris

jlindros

Massachusetts

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

Batch #9 thanks to rudzud for sharing, and thanks to jedi111 (Reddit) for sending me a bottle I can save for the right time to share.

Pours a nice creamy darker but small head covering, light lacing, just about pitch black color.

Nose brings plenty of fresh espresso, roasted coffee beans, so much fresh coffee it almost seems like I poured some beer into my fresh espresso. Chewy oats in there, light chocolate, light wood dust, hint of roast, hint of dark chocolate, wood and oak dust and barrel, a bit Canadian Whisky like surprisingly but I think mostly due to the beer overpowering what would be whisky.

Taste again fresh coffee, roasted espresso, ground coffee, light chocolate, roast, caramel, vanilla, toasty oak and again some Canadian like whisky that tastes sweet, fruity, and gamey almost. there is some booze warmth as well, with the fruity whisky, a maple cream whisky like too. Chewy oats come in, with light caramel and more vanilla barrel, some bitterness from roasted malts but also light earthy spicy hops. Some light wood dust and oaky flavors in there rounding it just a bit and bringing all that vanilla. Finish is drier, light booze, chocolate, caramel, lots of fresh roasted coffee all lingering, a light bitterness as well, and light wood dust esters lingering.

Mouth is thicker bodied, decent carb, fairly rich, light warming booze.

Overall quite a nice beer. Great coffee, freshly roasted, as well as nice malt base, some hops kicking in with a decent touch, and booze is hidden fairly well. All that with nice barrel flavors and whisky def cuts in but not the best whisky, more Canadian like it seems, or at least seems due to influence from the beer, but can't get any bourbon. Still a great beer and I'm glad I got another one in the cellar.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 03:46:33 | More by jlindros

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.29/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Batch #10. Poured from a 22 oz bottle into a Pipeworks snifter.

A- pours black with a 2 finger dark cola head. Big blotches and trails of lacing remain on the glass.

S- amazing coffee aroma, some roast, faint vanilla and whiskey.

T- some chocolate followed by bitter coffee. Coffee dominates this beer with very little bourbon or whiskey.

M- full body and medium carbonation. Creamy, smooth feel and drinks very well at roughly 12%.

O- very good beer. I wish there was more barrel notes but the coffee in this beer is amazing!

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2013 04:55:22 | More by kawilliams81

GeezLynn

Minnesota

4.24/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A: Straight black, with a medium brown head that is short-lived.
S: Very earthy and roasted, oats are apparent, with light coffee and a hint of whiskey.
T: Starts off with a heavy dark coffee flavor, followed by a light whiskey bite, and finishes with a bitter chocolate covered coffee bean flavor. A little vanilla shows as it approaches room temperature.
M: Thick body with low carbonation. Overall feel is velvety smooth.

BBB was a change of pace from the more common bourbon barrel stouts out there. This is very char-heavy without the bourbon derived cherry/fruit flavors. More of a vanilla/alcohol contribution from the barrel. Coffee addition was mild, but very nice. Enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 05:20:28 | More by GeezLynn

StoutHunter

Michigan

4.21/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

I picked up a bottle of Epic's Big Bad Baptist a couple weeks ago for $11.49 at The Lager Mill. I have never had anything from Epic before but I've been interested in giving them a try ever since their beers started showing up in my area, I was told if I like KBS then I needed to try this beer, so I decided to take a chance on it, so lets see how it goes. No visible bottling date Batch #10 2012 Vintage. Poured from a brown 22oz bomber into a snifter.

A- The label looks nice and I think the name is pretty funny. It poured a nice dark black color that didn't let any light come through and it had two fingers worth of mocha colored head that died down to a thick ring that stayed till the end and left some nice rings of lacing. This is a good looking beer, I have no complaints at all.

S- The aroma start off with lots of coffee that is very roasted and robust, it imparts a very strong black coffee aroma that seems to dominate this beer. Up next comes some more roasted malt aromas followed by some dark and milk chocolate and a medium amount of sweetness. Towards the end I get a slightly oaky aroma that may have a little bit of whiskey to it but it hardly sticks out. This beer had a good aroma, it almost smelled exactly like an iced black coffee, but I wish the barrel stuck out a little more.

T- The taste seems to be very similar to the aroma and it starts off the same with lots of great coffee flavors that make for a taste that is very similar to an iced coffee. After that comes some roasted malts, chocolate and a medium amount of sweetness. Up next comes the barrel which shows up more when it warms but it's still a little light and imparts some whiskey, oak, and light vanilla flavors. Towards the end comes a medium amount of bitterness that resembles the bitterness you get in black coffee and it had a roasted and very coffee like aftertaste. The alcohol is hidden very well no way does this taste like it's 11.4%. This was a good tasting beer that was very coffee forward, almost too much so, it would be nice if the barrel stuck out more to balance out all that coffee.

M- Pretty smooth, creamy, velvety, full bodied, and it had a nice amount of medium carbonation. The mouthfeel was really good and it fit this beer perfectly, super smooth.

Overall I thought this was a good beer and a good example of a Imperial Coffee Stout, it had tons of great coffee flavors and it was very smooth, but I think it could have used a little longer in the barrel to balance out all those coffee flavors. This beer had great drinkability, it was very smooth and it did a good job at holding my attention, a bomber seems like the perfect amount for me, I wouldn't want to follow it up with another one. What I liked the most about this beer was the drinkability and the mouthfeel they were both very good and better than I expected. What I liked the least about this beer is that the barrel didn't stick out as much as I would like. I would buy this beer again when in the mood for a big Coffee Stout, but I won't be buying it often, I recommend it to anyone who loves Coffee Stouts. All in all I was happy with this beer but I don't think it's the KBS killer that some people told me it would be, it's pretty good, but the coffee is a little too dominating, it lacks the great balance that makes KBS so awesome. For my first Epic beer this made a pretty good first impression on me and I am down to try many more beers from Epic, good work guys, you got me to pay attention to your brewery.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2013 04:48:50 | More by StoutHunter

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

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

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