Epic Brewing Company - Sour Apple Saison

When breweries try new ingredients, the results can be mixed. Some breweries try new ideas that some like they should work but don't (see: Voodoo Donut Maple Bacon Ale). And some breweries try new ideas that sound like they shouldn't work, but do (see: Campfire Stout). So when you spot a beer with a new ingredient, you can never really be sure of what you're getting.

A few weeks ago, a wave of Epic Brewing Company's beers hit the shelves at a local store, Texas Wine and Spirits. I've had some good experiences with Epic beers in the past, so I decided I'd give one of them a try. The one that caught my eye right away was their Sour Apple Saison. Sour apples are a new ingredient for me, and the combination of the apples and the light body and spice of a saison seemed like a match made in heaven. It was a no brainer for me. Or so I thought.

Sour Apple Saison pours an intensely hazy golden color with a thin white head. The head may have been small (easy, dirty thinkers...) but it coated the glass with thick tracks of lace after every sip. Swirling the beer a bit brought dense aromas of Belgian yeast, a TON of coriander, sage, and a big, tart wheat aroma. The apple aroma was there, but it had almost a candied, Laffy-Taffy like scent, rather than the natural sour apple smell I was hoping for.

The Belgian yeast is the first taste to hit as well, and it really takes this beer over in a hurry. The sweetness is a bit overwhelming and there's really nothing else in the flavor to stand up to it. Some faint green apple skin, chardonnay, white grape juice, lemon hard candy and ginger notes do creep through the yeast a bit, but they don't have nearly enough muscle to stand up to the sweetness of the Belgian yeast. I think the bigger problem in this beer is that it's too big. It checks in at 8%, which isn't outrageous, but is pretty high for a beer with flavors that should be delicate. This isn't a bad beer by any means, but, for me at least, it didn't live up to the promise or potential of the name. I'll file this away in the "Great idea. Poor execution." folder.

Final Grade: C

Top 250 Beers Tasted: 114

Epic Brewing Co. - Big Bad Baptist

While the beer laws in Utah may suck, it would be tough to say the same for the beer coming out of the state. Or the names of some of the beer coming out of the state, for that matter. One of these beers is Epic Brewing Company's Big Bad Baptist. I'd been looking for this beer for a while and found some on a recent trip to Total Wine up in LA.

Big Bad Baptist is a stout brewed with cocoa nibs and whole coffee beans and aged in whiskey barrels. Clocking in at nearly 12%, this beer is pretty much the opposite of what I think of when I think of Utah beer. It's also the only beer from Utah that's currently in the Top 250. So let the hunt for the Top 250 begin! At #233- Big Bad Baptist.

Big Bad Baptist pours a rich black color with a dense looking and thick mocha-colored head. The aroma is full of rich dark coffee. Even after smelling this beer from a few feet away, I could tell that this was no ordinary coffee. According to beeradvocate, the beans used are Ibis Sumatra Dark Coffee beans. I can't say I've ever tasted Ibis Sumatra Dark Coffee before, but I think that's going to have to change soon. It smells amazing! Along with possibly the best coffee I've ever smelled, I picked up notes of espresso, dark chocolate covered coffee beans, some faint vanilla and some char.

Luckily for me, the coffee flavors absolutely dominate the flavor of this beer. If you're not a fan of dark coffee, this may not be the beer for you. Luckily, I like me some dark coffee. Roasted malt and dark chocolate open the flavor and are quickly overtaken by a huge wave of dark roasted coffee. The incredible coffee flavor seems to last forever before giving way to a finish with a hint of whiskey, some charred wood, and burnt coffee grounds. The mouthfeel is nice and full without being too thick and syrupy. If you're a coffee lover, this beer is an absolute must. Glad I finally got some of this one.

Final Grade: A

Top 250 Beers Tasted: 112