Big Bad Baptist - Sextuple Barrel
Epic Brewing Company

Copenhagen 2/8 2024. 65 cl bottle from Meny, Vermlandsgade, Kbh. S. Black label with the Big Bad Baptist hanging out with barrel with the number & in Roman numerals.Im am drinking the 2020 edition.

Pours opaque dark brown with a small beige head. A bit bubbly. Disappears completely after a short while. No lacing.

Aroma is intense with an odor of sweet spices with a touch of candy and some dark, woody alcohol. Caramel and toffee. Coconut and vanilla. Bourbon and bitter coffee. A bit of dark chocolate.

Light carbonation. Medium thick, oily, soft, lightly tingling texture. A little sticky.

Flavor is intense with a strong sweetness followed by a more moderate bitterness. Aftertaste is sugary sweet with a boozy and a bit bitter undertone. Lingering. Finish is semi-dry with a boozy burn.

Wholesome Barrel Boozer.

 

 

2020 Vintage, consumed 2023. I'm tasting more chocolate and dark espresso notes than the Quadruple Barrel.

 

Shared bomber into snifters.
Decent foam pops then drifts off.
Aroma seems typical BBB., there is a light whiff of toasted coconut.
Tastes a lot like typical BBB. The adjuncts don’t pop out - I don’t get the almond, barely the coconut.
It drinks really easy and had a familiar feel to it. Mid carb from sitting in the cool cellar for 2 years.
Overall, another Epic effort worth experiencing.

Poured into a Fremont small snifter. Pours a very dark mahogany brown, appearing nearly opaque black in the glass with a half finger dark khaki head that dissipates to patches. Aroma of dark toasted malt, coconut, mild chocolate and coffee, and light bourbon. Flavor follows is dark toasted malt, toasted coconut, mild coffee,cocoa, licorice and vanilla, dry caramel and light bourbon and vanilla. Medium bodied with moderate creaminess. The new batch of BBB is on its way and I found this at the back of the fridge. I usually don't age coffee stouts, but here it is. The main stout body is similar to earlier versions, but bourbon and coconut are the main flavors; the coffee, cocoa and vanilla are mild and largely subsumed into the coconut, although the coconut is not overwhelming. Perhaps due to the 2 years of resting, the flavors are mellow and well integrated. Nice creamy body. Although the coffee and undoubtedly faded (and is not really over strong in this series any way), it has survived the aging gracefully and is quite enjoyable. Seems quite similar to the pentuple of years ago. This is a fine family of stouts and I look forward to it every year. My bottle has a slightly higher ABV, 12.5, than the listing here.

 

 

 

 

 

Pours very dark, kinda thin, ample foamy mocha head with decent retention. Sweet roasty malty aroma, dark chocolate, espresso. Lots of roasted malt aroma. Flavor is dark roasted malt, overly roasted espresso, bittersweet chocolate. Coconut is. Dry faint, and I don’t get the almonds at all. Extreme roast flavor. Thin texture, good carbonation. Overall I am a bit disappointed - with all the barrel aged adjuncts it looked very promising, but the base beer overwhelms the cool adjuncts and all I taste and smell is roasted malt. Maybe I should have drank it sooner…

1/29/22
Bomber, 2020 vintage
3.75 rating

This is really very well balanced for a beer that quite obviously has a whole lot going on!! I was not expecting a lot because I wasn’t a huge had of the quadruple or quintuple barrel but man this was way better than those!

Batch #1. Fluffy tan head that disappears quickly, minimal lacing, dark brown. Scents of cocoa are most prevalent, but coconut and coffee assert themselves, mild whiskey. Adjuncts aren’t super strong in the flavor department, but there’s definite presence of chocolate and coconut. Coffee and almond aren’t as prevalent, a bit of saltiness. Lighter bodied than expected. Clean mouth watering finish, boozy.

I don't know what barrel aged salt tastes like, and let's be honest: this beer is a gimmick. "Sextuple Barrel" is a technicality.

Yet ... it's one of the smoothest and richest BBB variants I've ever had. It's got the coffee, chocolate, whiskey, and stout flavors you expect, but it's just ... well, like I said: richer and smoother. The coconut is very mild but noticeable, as is the salt; I don't get the almond, but I suspect it contributes subtly to the overall presentation.

Like many BBB variants, the real question is going to be is this one worth the money. For repeat purchases, that's probably a no. But is it worth the price of admission for a one-off, a tick, or a celebratory beer? For my money, absolutely yes.

 

 

Beer for my birthday this year! Poured it into the beer stein my friend got me as a best man gift.

Look - 4
Dark beer, black as night. Nothing too impressive but I love me a dark, dark beer.

Smell - 3.75
Nothing too notible, but scents of marshmallow and smores can be smelt if you take in a heavy breath.

Taste - 5
This is by far the tastiest beer I've ever had in my life, no joking. The taste is complex in several different notes. Malt milkshake, a perfect porter, chocolate and coffee with a coconut and almond finish. I sipped on it long into the night, and it made my birthday feel incredible.

Feel - 5
Smooth doesn't give this beer justice. It leaves only the taste behind, and nothing that distracts you from food, say like a pizza (Propaganda Pie in Redstone, CO has the best pizza, was perfect to enjoy with this beer.) The flavor floods your mouth and remains an amazing flavor as you take a moment to enjoy your food, the alcohol is balanced out perfectly, especially for having an ABV of 11.5%. The coffee ending has a pleasant bitter note that keeps you feeling buzzed.

Overall - 4.5
It is THE best beer I have enjoyed in my life, as it was exactly what I hope for in a high quality beer; a perfect drinking experience when poured into a glass, minimal lace and small head to let off only a small bit of carbonation. Leaves me wishing I had bought another bottle when I had the chance to savor it again on my 26th birthday! If you enjoy a dark beer that has notes that age over the span of a few minutes, this is the beer you should double up on, and I'm excited to see what Epic will release next!