Bigger Badder Baptista
Epic Brewing Company

Review: 2327
Name: Bigger Badder Baptista
Brewery: Epic Brewing
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
ABV: 11%
Style: Barrel-Aged Stout
Canned: 2020
Date: 09 Mar 2025
I am switching back to clearing out my cellar. I have had this beer since 2020. It is in Mezcal and whiskey barrel; I wonder if the Mezcal will come through. I am using a tulip glass, serving the beer at 50 degrees. The pour created a frothy, air, one-fingered, dark brown head with no retention. Thus far, the barrel-aged beer from Epic does not have much head retention. The color is dark brown with dark ruby red hues, charting at SRM 36, and opaque. The appearance of the beer is average for this style.
Nosing the glass, I smell dark roasted malts, whiskey, char, Maillard, caramel, toffee, raisins, figs, oak, chocolate, coffee, toasted bread crust, and light smokiness. Smelling the glass, I detect earthiness, floral esters, leather, tobacco, cinnamon, and vanilla.
I was not expecting that; I did not smell any tequila-like aromas or Mezcal; however, I did get that smokiness with a light mezcal flavor. Sipping the beer again, I taste toffee, cinnamon, dusty barn, chocolate, coffee, toasted bread crust, fire, whiskey, oak, char, vanilla, tobacco, leather, earthiness, and light floral esters.
The finish is dry and slightly bitter, and the mouthfeel is warming and chewy. The body is medium-plus and has medium-low carbonation.
I was not sure what I was going to get with this beer. It tastes as described. The mezcal and whiskey barrels dominate the other flavors in the beer. The char and bitterness can be overwhelming; the beer would benefit from a heavier malt bill and high ABV. A little more malty sweetness would balance the bitterness and char. This one is a decent barrel-aged beer, besides what I described above.

 

 

 

 

 

Poured a black body with minimal khaki head that quickly died and left no lace ring. Wooden and boozy aroma with notes of chocolate and coffee. A little bit thick and sticky but more complex tasting than the aroma as notes of chocolate, coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, booze all hit you, and mostly hit you evenly, in a mostly sweet and easy-passing beer that has a slightly heated finish that makes it an enjoyable sweetness.

22oz bottle poured into a snifter.

A: Midnight black pour. Brown head settles quickly into a thin slip. Wispy lacing.

S: Unmistakable whiffs of smoked malt- some smoke, char, and campfire. Briny saltiness too. Vegetal mescal pulls up briefly with some oaky aromas. Quick rabbit sniffs bring out the vanilla and fatty cocoa nibs. Cinnamon pulls through with time and warmth. Coffee is there too, but buried more tightly with the roasty malt character.

T: Creamy iced coffee with cinnamon, right off the bat. Vanilla and marshmallow whisky barrel flavors meld with medium-roast coffee and cinnamon. Fatty cocoa nibs ride up with a big chocolate sauce-like pull. In contrast to the nose, the smoked malts are more secondary and play a nice background role. That briny salinity is hiding there with it as well, but it brings some unique and welcome character. Barrel character actually feels more subtle too. There's some definite vegetal mezcal and oaky wood, but they are soft and complementary. Coffee/cinnamon/vanilla come back on a long and easy finish.

M: Thick and rich body, but the texture is lithe, airy, and silky-smooth. Really lovely, like a fine mousse. Ample but soft carbonation. Very mild wood tannin and very mild salty feeling on the tongue. Surprisingly little alcohol warmth.

O: This is exceptional stuff, and I personally like it better than the first Big Bad Baptista release. It's a ballsy move on paper to add salt and throw it in whiskey and mescal barrels, and I have to say I'm quite surprised at how well it works. This is one of those beers with a busy ingredient list that just melds really well into an experience that is more than the sum of its parts. It's a testament to execution. Also noteworthy is the more restrained barrel character as compared to other Baptist releases. The barrel plays more of a supporting role than a focal one, but that's kind of a good thing. It would be easy for mescal to overpower things. It's also a lot more easygoing, with no burn and not really even any apparent alcohol warmth. Having said all that, I do suspect some people may be more sensitive than others to the salinity in particular. I experienced a bit of that "salt lick" feel on my tongue as I got further through the drinking session, but still didn't mind it too much. Other than that, the mouthfeel is quite elegant and memorable. Great addition to the Baptist family overall, and a really nice drinking experience.

Pour is oily and jet black a thin cinnamon head appears but fades quickly, leaving a slight ring around the glass.
Nose is cinnamon, dark chocolate, hint of smoke, bourbon.
Taste follows. Cinnamon upfront, followed by coffee, dark chocolate, subtle tequila on the finish. Bourbon is minimal, which is a bit disappointing. Cinnamon is the more prevalent flavor, but not off-puttingly so.
Smooth, creamy both. finishes moderately dry with dark chocolate.

 

With so much going on in a beer like this, it can be easy for one component to dominate - and that absolutely does not happen here.

Everything has a part to play and contributes to the mix, but nothing dominates. A fair comparison point is Mexican Cake (obviously minus the peppers, such as they are in Cake). It's also a case where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. This is a fantastic and smooth entry into the BBB variant series, and easily worth revisiting.

Black with a creamy brown color of moderate persistence. Scent of cocoa, coffee, cinnamon, toffee, vanilla, bourbon. On the palate toffee, cocoa and coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, licorice and slight barrel aged notes. Cinnamon and chocolate aftertaste with a light spicy note. Medium body and low carbonation.

 

 

On the OBX/Waves beach with my son William. Bottle info - Release #3, 11.0% ABV, SLC 7465

2020 version purchased at Trio Wine for $19.97 in the OBX. You might not like this beer but I believe the brewers were masterful in their blending of the adjuncts. Nothing to the extreme. Admittedly not my favorite stout style but a very well done Mexican stout. 4.0

A - Pours jet black, viscous, with zero head and almost still. 3.5

S - Vanilla, cinnamon and roasted malts, 3.75

T - Dominated by the cinnamon and then vinous flavors, dark dried fruits - raisins, dates, prunes, moderately sweet but not cloying. Some bitterness from the roasted malt. The cinnamon is evident but not overwhelming. 4.0

MF - A big bodied beer, with a night quite semi-dry finish leaning to the sweet side. 4.25

22 ounce bottle, 2020 vintage, release #3, 11.3% ABV. Served in a snifter, the beer pours dark brown/black with about an inch or so tan head. Head retention and lacing are both good. I like the aroma a lot, the brew smells like roasted/smoked malt, vanilla, whiskey, mezcal, coffee, cinnamon and cacao. Taste is similar to the aroma, but with the addition of some oak/woody and burnt/charred malt flavors. All the flavors mesh well together, with no one flavor overpowering the others. Mouthfeel/body is medium/full, it's a bit creamy and coating with a moderate amount of carbonation. I thought this was a pretty good overall brew, definitely worth picking up if you're into imperial stouts! $16.99 a bottle.