This was one of the best beers I’ve had from Epic Brewing. I’ve had a few others, and was less than impressed, but they have completely redeemed themselves with their Exponential Series Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout. This was a beautiful beer.
It poured a thick inky black with a relatively thin and lightly colored head. To be fair this beer had rested a few minutes before I snapped the photo, so the head was a bit more active at first. No problems with carbonation. This beer was good that way.
It smelled of coffee and a hint of the whiskey barrels it was aged in. I looked on their web site to try and find out what whiskey barrels they were aged in, but to no avail. I wish the brewers would realize that knowing the whiskey that was in the barrel prior to aging their beer is really important to the flavor of the beer, and geeks like myself really want to know the different flavor profiles that different barrels give off. The reason I mention it is the whiskey flavor in this brew is scrumptious and if I knew this was Heaven Hill Elijah Craig barrels that is one thing, but if they are George Dickel barrels that is quite another.
Either way, the whiskey flavor in this beer is unique and reminded me of Jack Daniels or Old Grandad. It was a touch harsher with a bit of a whiskey kick that I really appreciated.
This beer is made with coffee too, so I’ve been told that coffee stouts don’t age well, and you lose the coffee flavor. I haven’t ever run into this before, because I haven’t really aged any coffee stouts, but I’ve been told by others that have that coffee stouts are best drank young while the coffee is still very pronounced. The coffee in this beer blended very well with the whiskey and the big malt character of this stout. I highly recommend that you give the Big Bad Baptist a try if you can find one. Epic is still a relatively small brewery so they aren’t widely distributed yet. But put this beer on your radar. It is a great coffee stout.
What say you? Have you tried the Big Bad Baptist? What did you think?
-Don
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
So glad to see this featured on here! I tried this for the first time about 2-3 months ago and fell in love. I had only tried 2 other Epic beers, but they weren’t anything special; this on the other hand was amazing. For being such a strong beer with a lot of complexity, it was suprisingly light bodied when i had it and it went down very smooth. I grabbed another bottle after my first and I’m letting it age for a little while to see how a year or 2 changes it.
I’m guessing it is better without age. That is what my friends were telling me. They aged a Bourbon County Coffee Stout, and it lost a lot with the age. Can’t taste the coffee with age.
I aged their first version of this beer—a collaboration with Jack Mormon Coffee House in SLC. I have to say, it was better younger.
I’m quite liking Epic’s newest beers. This one and their Sage Saison and Santa Cruz Brown are quite excellent. I have a bottle of their Elder Brett, too. Hear it’s good, as well. But I’m waiting to let the Brett get a bit more funky before I open.
I’ve also had their Brainless on Peaches which is a fantastic beer, although quite expensive. Their exponential series has a lot of interesting stuff.
Oh I wasn’t aware of that. Thanks for letting me know. I guess I’ll have to drink this one soon then because it only has 2 months on it right now. Too bad too, because I love aging my stouts, but that does make sense about the coffee. Oh I forgot Epic did a collaboration beer called “Fermentation without Representation” and it was a pumpkin porter. Wow, it was really really good. It had the chocolate, coffee richness of a traditional porter, but with some great pumpkin and spice flavor. Good dessert beer.
Don’t hate on George Dickel. I love some Number 12.
Seriously, is this widely available yet? Sounds great and I look forward to trying it. And I like this site. Keep up the good work.
I think Dickel is fine. It is available everywhere they distribute, where ever that is.
Hi Hi Few days ago i put a small article/list about all (I hope) beer brands in Iceland today on my site. How many Icelandic beer brands do you think you can buy in iceland Today ?
Love and Peace Julius.
I love some Big Bad Baptist… I’m pretty sure I sent you guys a message on twitter a few months ago that you had to try it… It’s one of my favorite coffee stouts…maybe it is my favorite… Good stuff…
I think you did too Haas. Although it was quite good, it isn’t my favorite. That honor has to go to the Beer Geek Brunch. That stuff is wicked awesome, as they say in Bean town.
I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the name. Isn’t it a sin to put “bad” beside “baptist?” (Regarding the coffee stout, it’s an excellent way to have a beer with breakfast.)
I’m not totally sure Linda, but I think Epic is having fun with some religious issues in Utah. SLC in particular. A Mormons vs. Baptists thing, if you will.
Plus everyone knows that Baptists are big and bad. Here are a few big bad baptists from history—Ivan the Terrible–Baptist, Ghengis Kahn–Baptist, Blackbeard–Baptist! Even today most of your Hollywood action heroes are Baptist–Schwartzinegger, Hulk Hogan, even the Incredible Hulk. All Baptists…
Actually Don, my 3x g-granddad, the Rev. John Straight (later changed to Strait) was a Baptist preacher who lived to be 102, outlived 3 wives and had 18 kids (my 2x g-granddad, Henry Clay Strait, John’s last child, was b. when the Rev was 74.) Rev. John is reputedly best known for 2 things–his Hellfire-and-Brimstone sermons (he preached one on his 101st b’day) & his capacity for corn squeezin’s. I’d say that all that qualifies him as a big-bad-Baptist, wouldn’t you?
You know it Wayne.