Epic Brewing Big Bad Baptist Black Gold 2024

“Classic American-hop profile on the nose: orange peel, earthy, some pine. Hints of caramel, toffee. Sip has a healthy pine and orange bitterness balanced by a boozy caramel sweetness. Some spicy warmth emerges in the finish.”

“Bittersweet chocolate and coffee on the nose; quite clean. Very smooth mouthfeel, reminiscent of an espresso with just a layer of milk foam. The dark malt chocolate and coffee flavors take center stage while the milk sugar supports. A pinch of cola and some coffee notes in the flavor. Brings to mind Jelly Belly’s cappuccino-flavored jelly beans. Aftertaste is filled with creamy coffee flavors. Overall, it’s a very drinkable, well-balanced milk stout with just enough of a bittersweet punch.”

**Aroma:** “Coffee up front with a touch of malt sweetness to balance. Notes of roasted malt, espresso, and dark chocolate. Oak is subtle and comes through as vanilla. Very strong coffee notes in the nose. Nice roast character, chocolate, some vanilla, and some oak wood character. Some sweet tobacco notes and a bit of green pepper.” **Flavor:** “Intense coffee/espresso notes with a wonderful chocolate character to round it out. A mild amount of barrel character, but the coffee is the star of this show. Caramel malt sweetness and subtle vanilla oak character come through, and the finish is mostly balanced—impeccably smooth without being cloying.” **Overall:** “Extremely tasty beer—coffee is well-executed and balance is excellent. An amazing coffee beer that presents the coffee perfectly—balanced and accented well with delicious chocolate and roast notes and just a touch of barrel character.”