- Style: Imperial Stout
- ABV-12%
Yesterday, November 1st was International Stout day and you can believe I celebrated. I chose to drink one of my many favorite stouts, Epic’s Big Bad Baptist, and man, this thing is definitely big and bad! I love everything about this beer. Is it the best stout I’ve ever had? Probably not, but its certainly not even close to being mediocre.
Big Bad Baptist is an Imperial Stout that is brewed with cocoa nibs and coffee added, and aged in whiskey barrels. It is part of Epic’s Exponential Series and each season’s release for this particular beer they use a different dark roasted coffee. This beer, in color, is a lot like Chris Farley’s belt in Beverly Hills Ninja…”The blackness of my belt is like the inside of a coffin on a moonless night”. Yeah its that dark.

It’s a medium-medium heavy body with low carbonation, and a mouthfeel smoother than satin boxer shorts. This beer is so ridiculously smooth on the palate its almost as if you licked my uncle Vinnie’s velour jumpsuit (Don’t lick my uncle Vinnie’s velour jumpsuit, he may or may not send you swimming with the fish upon doing so).
The flavor of this beer is out of this world. Fresh roasted dark coffee upfront with hints of smooth dark chocolate, molasses, and vanilla sweetness. There are some underlying notes of dried figs, and dates. The finish and a long finish at that, is bittersweet with a slight astringency. As it warmed more of the bitterness, and heat came through, but it was in fact complementary and not overbearing.

This beer is ridiculously good. I’m blown away; Absolutely delicious! The 12% ABV in this is dangerously smooth. It is so well hidden. If I didn’t know I would have never guessed the ABV on this beer was that high. I suggest drinking this one fresh. I have aged a few from previous years, but as it goes with aging most coffee beers, you’ll lose some worthy notes.
Bottoms up!
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