Barrel-Aged Beer Advent Calendar #5: Epic Big Bad Baptist's 5 Variants

Annually, one of the most sought after Imperial Stouts is Epic Brewing's Big Bad Baptist out of Denver and Utah. This was one of the first barrel-aged Imperial Stouts to come out in multiple bottled variations, from coffee to the popular Mexican-style spiced editions, and much more. For 2019, Epic came out with a whopping five different variations on Big Bad Baptist Coffee Stout.

As we count down the 24 days of December leading up to Christmas, we are highlighting one barrel-aged beer each day. View all of the beers on this year’s Barrel-Aged Beer advent calendar after they have been posted at https://www.newschoolbeer.com/category/ba-adventcalendar

Epic's team drew inspiration from a number of different areas this year and combined new flavors with unique barrels. All five variants are available in 22oz bottles in most markets where Epic is distributed, though some are harder to find than others.

The process for creating these realms of Baptist is very similar to the original, each using coffee and cacao, but each variant has its own special flavor profile to complement the balance and flavor journey that the classic has taken barrel aged beer and coffee fans on for nearly a decade.

Chocolate Rapture pushes the boundaries of cacao and adds a touch of vanilla without overwhelming the barrel-aged stout. The result is a super decadent stout that goes down richly and will satisfy your chocolate cravings.

Hazelnut Vanilla Latte utilizes hazelnuts to achieve a soft, yet rich blend of vanilla and toasted nuts.

Peanut Butter Cup simply adds peanuts to create the chocolate-peanut butter combination that goes well with the dark flavors of the Baptist line.

Vanilla Brandy Barrel was aged in 100% Brandy barrels that imparted a strong, complex oak character that was smoothed out with cacao, coffee, and vanilla.

Quintuple Barrel is the most outrageous of the five, Epic went further than just aging the beer in barrels by barrel-aging the individual specialty spices/flavorings. Among the ingredients are Barrel-Aged Roasted Cacao Nibs, Barrel-aged Coffee, Barrel-aged Coconut, Barrel-aged Almonds, Barrel-aged Salt and Caramel.

The O.G. Big Bad Baptist is also still available in 22oz bombers, but for the first time ever it will be available in 12 oz., 4-pack cans in some markets.

David Cole, cofounder of Epic Brewing, commented, “For the last five years we have been pushing the Big Bad Baptist family to celebrate coffee and Imperial Stout. For fans of the original Baptist and those that want to try something new, these five variants are a perfect way to celebrate any occasion.”

Jordan Schupbach, lead brewer, says, “Our team has worked day and night and I’m proud of this year’s blends and the variants we’ve come up with. All the ingredients we are using work well with our rich, barrel-aged stout and we make sure to compliment the beer, not overwhelm it. The beers taste incredible.”

All five of the variants and the original Baptist are available right now, for a limited time.

Epic Brewing Company was the first full strength only production brewer in the State of Utah when it opened May of 2010 in Salt Lake City. Epic later expanded to Colorado in 2013 with a larger production brewery and taproom, one of the first in Denver’s now popular RiNo district. Epic is known for its big, bold beer styles and currently offers over 40 distinctly different beers of exceptional quality. Epic is distributed in the following states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington D.C., Wisconsin and Wyoming.