Epic Brewing Double Barrel Big Bad Baptist 2016
What the brewers say
“Double Barrel Big Bad Baptist is the cream of the crop with only the choicest barrels selected for the blend, barrel-aged single-origin coffee, artisanal micro-batch cacao nibs, and our ceaseless passion for style.”
What our panel thought
Aroma: “Like almond liqueur, with a gentle blend of roast, chocolate, and coffee. The coffee brings an earthiness for complexity. Notes of leather, oak, and vanilla bring a decent blend of barrel and flavor. Very clean overall.”
Flavor: “Well-blended roastiness from the malt and coffee, and some light barrel character helps pull the pieces together with notes of tannin, leather, oak, and vanillin. Nutty caramel, sherry, and a fruity yeast profile that includes dry cherries make for a fruitcake effect. Coats the mouth without being cloying. A deeper dominant flavor note than others in the category, heavy on bass notes.”
Overall: “Tells you up front to slow down—it’s a little hot from the booze—but a very nice balance of chocolate, coffee, and oak, which all work together to balance the sweetness. The fruitcake notes—dried cherries, almonds, and bread—worked great. I like this a lot.”
