Epic Brewing-DC Brau Fermentation Without Representation

While at Bruisin’ Ales in Asheville, I picked up a bottle of the Epic Brewing-DC Brau collaboration Fermentation Without Representation, an imperial pumpkin porter. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan colored head that leaves specks of lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of toasted malts, chocolate, caramel, and pumpkin. The taste is smooth with a nice roasted pumpkin flavor on the front end with a solid chocolate and toasted malt flavor. Very light hints of cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg make an appearance and accent everything very nice. The alcohol content is 7.7% ABV. I thoroughly enjoyed the mix of flavors in this beer, as the porter provided a great base that allowed the pumpkin and spices to provide a wonderful balance.

Epic Brewing Brainless on Cherries (Batch 12)

At Appalachian Vinter in Asheville, NC, I picked up a bottle of Epic Brewing Brainless on Cherries (Batch 12). The beer pours a red-tinted amber color with a bubbly white colored head that fizzles away rapidly. The aroma consists of cherries, sugar, oak, and a light tartness. The taste is lightly tart with a strong cherry flavor. and a Belgian yeast flavor. Some oak dryness settles in and leaves behind some grassy flavors and a light spice accent. The alcohol content is 10.7% ABV. Having had Brainless on Peaches, this one didn’t quite stand up to it. I liked the cherry flavor, but thought it fell a little bit flat.

Epic Brewing Brainless on Peaches

My buddy Adam opened a bottle of Epic Brainless on Peaches for his birthday while I was at his house. The beer pours a golden color with a bubbly white head. The aroma is big on peach with cream, apple juice, lemon, and grass mixed in as well. The taste is dryer than I expected from the aroma. Peaches, lemon, hay, grass, banana, and oak all make a presence, and it is the hay, grass, and oak that really dry out the mouth. The alcohol content is 10.8% ABV. This beer was way different than I expected. I went in assuming a light-bodied citrus flavored beer with lots of peach accents to it, but instead I encountered a beer that was almost like a dry wine. There was a light sweetness in the background with a funk to it that make it extremely interesting, but much more complex than I expected.

Epic Brewing (USA) Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout

My buddy Josh brought over a bottle of Epic Brewing (USA) Big Bad Baptist Imperial Stout. The bottles was marked as Release #2. The beer pours a black color with a frothy tan head that leaves some lacing on the glass. The aroma consists of strong cocoa flavor, vanilla, whiskey, toasted malts, and caramel. The taste is smooth and chocolaty at first with lots of roasted malts. A large coffee profile comes out to play, and vanilla and caramel have a solid presence before whisky and oak take over the mouth. It is a warming finish, as the whiskey takes over the beer. The alcohol content is 11.3% ABV. For the large whiskey presence in this beer, it was very well balanced with coffee and cocoa. It went down pretty smooth, but was also very warming.

Epic Brewing (UT) Sour Apple Saison

My buddy Matt picked up a bottle of Epic Brewing Sour Apple Saison from Discount Wine and Liquors from Boonton, NJ, and brought it over to share. The beer pours an extremely pale golden color with a bubbly white colored head. The aroma consists of lemon, pine sol, sour apple, grass, hay, and barnyard funk. The taste is light on the tongue but has a nice sour apple pucker. Lemongrass and pepper make up some of the background, with a bit of pine accent. The alcohol content is 8.1% ABV. This beer has a great quality saison mixed with a lightly sour apple flavor, bringing another dimension to the style of the beer.