551. Epic Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout

Another beer from Epic; we scored this one at the DRAFT Christmas bottle exchange. Since the Utah Sage Saison, we’ve been looking to try something else by them, so I can’t complain. We’ll add this to the list that also includes Brainless on Cherries. Hells yes.

Described on the label as an Imperial Stout brewed “with cocoa nibs and coffee added and aged in whiskey barrels,” Big Bad Baptist pours an inky rich chocolate with a cocoa-colored thin head that quickly reduces to a waft-ish skiff covering complete with arabesques. The nose is dusky cocoa, coffee, and a hint of vanilla from the oak; there is also roast malt and hints of alcohol. Flavors are brash and to the fore: chocolate, cocoa, and roast make up the front, moving into coffee and vanilla in the middle, while the finish is cocoa and a touch of alcohol warmth with more of the roast lingering along with the alcohol warmth. The cocoa does fights it out with the roast in the finish, not lying down to the bigger, sharper flavors. The body is medium with a nicely chewy malt mouthfeel and a restrained carbonation that helps brighten the beer on the tongue. It was a bit hot when first opened, but as it warmed, the other flavors rounded and balanced the beer. An interesting beer that could probably have used another year before we opened it, but we saw the ABV only after I cracked this sucker open. My bad! The cocoa aspect of this beer really stands out, however; it is delicate and ephemeral in a beer that is not subtle, and even as the beer warms and the oak, vanilla, and alcohol start to exert themselves, the cocoa subtlety remains. Epic has been doing some good things—after this and our experience with Utah Sage, we may have to dabble more extensively in their catalog in the future.

From the Epic website: “One Big Bad Imperial Stout with Cocoa nibs and Coffee beans. Each release number uses a different dark roasted coffee.”

ABV: 11.8%
Release #3: bottled 12/9/2011
Malts: Muntons Maris Otter, Briess 2-Row, Crystal Muntons, Weyerman Light Munich T1, 2-Row chocolate, 2-row black, and roasted barley
Other: Millcreek Coffee (French Roast) and Cocoa Nibs.
Hops: Nugget, Chinook, and Cascade

(12/21/12)

543. Epic Utah Sage Saison

Another beer from Epic, mainly because this is a saison, and, well, I’m a sucker for saisons. Our last Epic beer was Brainless on Cherries, which was enjoyable (and better in the bottle), but some of the others we’ve had along the way have not been as enjoyable. Still, this is a saison, so it is time to roll the dice.

Utah Sage pours a lightly hazy hay with a thin white head; the nose is redolent with herbal sage aromas accompanied by yeast esters and phenols and a touch of mint. The beer starts dry with a touch of candy sweetness and yeast fruitiness, giving way to hints of sage and a mineral bite in the middle, followed by honey and mint in the finish with a combination of a dry mineral tang and a bright, almost citrus-y herbal zing lingering on the back of the mouth. The beer is well attenuated, often a problem with other American saisons (so that is a plus mark for Epic), and there is a touch of alcohol warmth in the finish, although nothing overbearing. The yeast character is certainly Belgian, although it might not be the best fit for a saison, and it could use a bit more hop bitterness, although I am guessing this is a product of not wanting to step too heavily on the delicate sage and herb flavors. The sage in the nose is the strength of this beer; the flavor is good in the body, but could use just a touch more, although collectively the flavors are in balance across the beer profile. This beer is better than I thought it was going to be; the herbal sage character in the nose is delicious, and continues to delight over the course of the beer (I know the description below says rosemary, but there is not really any apparent here). And this beer cost $6.99 for the 22 oz. bottle, which makes it a delicious bargain as well. I might have to change my mind about Epic if they keep producing beers like this.

From the Epic website: “This seasonal Saison is brewed with fresh herbs. The first whiff is that of a festive array of rosemary, thyme with a dominating profile leaning towards sage. This beautifully crafted farmhouse style Belgian beer is warm with herbal notes and backed with earthy hops.”

ABV: 7.6%
Release #3
Malt: Weyermann Pilsner, Muntons Maris Otter, Briess 2-Row Brewers Malt and Rye malt, Muntons Wheat Malt, and Briess Pregelatinized Barley Flakes
Hops: Centeenial, Amarillo, Calypso
Herbs: fresh sage, thyme, and rosemary
Brewed: January 30, 2012
Bottled: March 30, 2012

(11/21/12)

484. Epic Brainless on Cherries Belgian-Style Ale

Epic Brewing Company is a new brewery out of Salt Lake City, Utah; they’ve come up pretty hot and heavy as of late, especially here in Dayton—we’ve seen a couple of events featuring their beer, and quite a wide variety of beers as well. I actually had this beer on tap a couple of weeks ago at Lucky’s, and it is much better out of the bottle. Described as a “malt beverage brewed with cherries and aged on oak barrels” (and they do indicate that the barrels are French Oak), Brainless on Cherries is part of Epic’s Exponential Series. And as to why beers from Utah are blowing up in Dayton, Ohio—well, that’s another story, one most likely beyond even my abilities to bullshit.

Brainless on Cherries pours a pinkish grapefruit leavened with an orange-ish tan—it is not quite clear, although less than opaque, and brightly effervescent with a white head that constantly replenishes itself. It also has some pretty ruby-red highlights. The nose contains a good dose of cherry, but there is also plenty of Belgian yeast character—the cherry melds nicely with the perfume-y qualities and fruit esters of the aroma. This is further balanced by fruit pith, a touch of sweet toasty malt (pilsner, I would guess) and some simultaneous spritz-y and mineral notes. We’ll call it candy fruity Belgian goodness. Oak character emerges as the beer warms, but when first poured, it is pretty minimal—unless it is passing itself off as the pith aroma. Flavors start sweet and slightly creamy before plunging into the cherry flavor in the middle; there is slight tacky dryness in the middle that I’ll attribute to the oak as well that gives way to a touch of bright but gentle alcohol as the beer turns to the finish. It concludes with a touch of fruit tartness and some lingering alcohol warmth, although the beer is far lighter and brighter than I initially expected. The fruit flavor is light and balances well with the body of the beer—it is both delicate and subtle. As well, Brainless on Cherries sits lightly on the palate for a 10.7% beer; there is some alcohol flavor and warmth, but far less than anticipated. The bright carbonation contributes to rounding the beer on the tongue (as does the oak); there are a few harsh alcohol hints as the beer warms, but these are minimal. The oak is present but restrained; the emphasis in on the beer and subtle fruit, with the oak playing a supporting role that contributes most to the larger character of the beer. Overall, I’d call this beer a pleasant surprise—it is well-crafted and has more character, subtlety, and nuance that I would had originally given it credit for—and this is after I had it on draft. Elli even had nice things to say—she got nice and tipsy from her share of the bottle—and was pleased with the subtle flavors and smoothness of the beer. We may have to get ourselves a couple more bottles to try...

From the bottle: “You are holding something special—one of only 1,800 bottles released and numbered. Intrigued? Visit http://www.epicbrewing.com/ to explore this limited brew’s precise details.”

From the brewery: “Release 3 we decided to add another layer of flavor to this beer by combining both Sweet and Sour Cherries in the barrel fermentation and aging process but with a higher ratio of sour cherries. We took our double gold medal winning Brainless Belgian, added cherry puree and aged it in French Chardonnay casks for a secondary fermentation in the barrels and some additional aging. Pours a beautiful deep ruby color with a medium white head to pink head. A nice nose of sweet and sourcherries, Belgian malts, and barrel aging. The flavor is dominated by white wine dryness and malt and fruit driven sweetness.”

ABV: 10.7%
Release #3

(9/20/2011)