Epic Smoked & Oaked Belgian-Style Ale
This is a Belgian-style strong ale but with an American fusion twist dreamt up by Epic. Using authentic Belgian-style yeast, this is a malt-driven beer with Maris Otter malt as a base and a hint of Pilsner malt. For the first twist we use smoked cherry wood malt that works it’s magic, bringing a smoky sweetness to the caramel malts and a bit of peat flavor as well. This ale then really marries together when it hits the cask. The entire batch aging in the whiskey barrels nicely dries out the perceived sweetness of the caramel malt leaving an almost scotch like taste, with smoke, bourbon, hints of vanilla, wood, aged fruit from the Belgian yeast and some peat. A very, very special extremely flavorful strong ale made for sharing.
Release #1 - 8.0% ABV
Release #2 - 8.8% ABV
Release #3 - 10.5% ABV
Release #4,5 - 9.9% ABV
Release #6,7 - 10.5% ABV
Release #8 - 9.5% ABV
Release #9,10 - 9.0% ABV
Release #11 - 12.5% ABV
Release #12 - 10.7% ABV
Release #13,14 - 10.5% ABV
Release #15,16 - 10.4% ABV
Release #1 - 8.0% ABV
Release #2 - 8.8% ABV
Release #3 - 10.5% ABV
Release #4,5 - 9.9% ABV
Release #6,7 - 10.5% ABV
Release #8 - 9.5% ABV
Release #9,10 - 9.0% ABV
Release #11 - 12.5% ABV
Release #12 - 10.7% ABV
Release #13,14 - 10.5% ABV
Release #15,16 - 10.4% ABV
3.7
303 reviews
Salt Lake City, United States
Community reviews
a very rich brew. has a mild aroma. But the flavor more than makes up for it. Great marriage between Belgian and smoke.
Bottle (22oz). Release #36. Dark golden. Muddy. Not much of a head. Very malty. Sweet. Some smoke and a little barrel. Quite good. Somewhat like a Belgian scotch ale.
Refrigerated brown bomber release 29 poured. Hazy medium brown with small beige head. Aroma is nice, medium body, low carbonation, and little lacing. Taste is oak and some smoke.
Murky brown pour with minimal head. Strong oaky aroma along with biscuit, nutmeg, brown sugar. Smokiness really makes itself present and in the flavor. Very unique beer. I’m also getting some anise/licorice. Alcohol is noticeable. This is good, not super drinkable however. Points for originality, subtract some points for the palate.
Tap. Dark rusty copper brown. Lots of sweet dark fruit and prunes at first in the aroma. Malty. Decently smoky in the flavor, with some whisky notes on top of the sweet dark fruits. Medium to thicker viscous body.
5:11 PM 30 Jul 14 @ GIB, shared w/ dj marky, after work, thanks kevin (&stacey) . . copper amber ..medium head, lacing is great .. . medicine cabinet, wood drip, oak, spice tin, and alcohol .. grungy mouth, yet drinkable .. interesting beer, i enjoyed it but wouldn’t want it again ..
.. . . i was raised on the dairy, bitch!
Poured from a 22 ounce bomber, this is release 4. Big estery Belgian yeast aroma, malty, berries, hot alcohol notes. The flavor follows the aroma, there is a bit of malty sweetness.
Pours a clear golden brown from the bottle with fluffy off-white head that leaves moderate lace. Aroma of light smoke and Belgian esters over big oak notes. Taste is more toward the smoke, but still lighter, nicely done, with more of the barrel too. This was well done.
Epic is a name an a fact. Murky amber, floating corpses, thin head. Boring sour aroma, but taste goes woody as it’s barrel aged, smoke, candy sugar. Quite sweet and belgian yeast flavoured, smooth, quaffable, goody good stuff!
Sampled at GABF. Not sure what Release this was. In the tasting glass was reddish brown. Beige head. Nose of light bourbon and wood. Medium plus body. Flavor is like Scotch Ale with big malts and and fruity finish .Interesting. Good too.
Bottle, aged for ~ 3 years. Very nice - first sip very smokey though it mellows as you go as opposed to some strong smoked scotch ales. Reddish brown color, thin head and lightly carbonated. Wood and malt front taste, then the smoke and a nice Belgian-yeast inspired finish. Great fall weather brew and would go great with a medium cigar!
Tap..Pour is dark red with a white head..Nose is smoke, cola, musty, oak, sweet and sticky...Taste is nice sweetness, oak, cola, some smoke, cooked bacon.
Bottle, Release #40. Pours a hazy brown-gold with a shallow, lacy, light cream head; quite creamy, mixed-grain, very solid. Nose is smoke, roast nuts, hard cheese, cream, burnt sugar, sage, and tawny port. Somewhat sweet up front with maple candy notes, then shading into smoked meat and pecans; definite oak notes, lots of vanilla and round tawny port elements. The smoke is dominant but not overwhelming, and the sweetness stays present, moving into dried fruit and apple on the back of the palate. ABV remains in check, so it’s not overly heavy. Finish is long and smoky-sweet. Really, really good.
On tap at Epic in Denver. Comes reddish brown with a small beige head. Aroma of malt, fruit, and smoke. Taste is malt, dark fruit, caramel, smoke, and bourbon. Not a fan of smoked beers, but this was pretty good.
Aroma: vanilla, peated, barrel notes, whisky, sweet.
Appearance: slightly hazy amber color and almost no head.
Taste: medium bitterness, intensivelly peated, woody notes, vanilla, some belgian peachy notes, semi-seet.
Palate: full body and low carbonation, whisky finish.
Overall: Big bomb! Amazing beer, full of flavours, complex. Something for whisky lovers, highly recommended.
(Bottle, release #18 10.3%) Reddish amber colour, slightly hazy, with frothy beige head. Malty, fruity nose with caramel, treacle toffee, burnt sugar, wood, dried fruit and delicate aromas of smoke. Malty, fruity taste with notes of caramel, raw sugar, dried fruit, wood, vanilla, a touch of ripe gooseberries, black-currant, marzipan, gentle hints of smoke and a warming finish with a balanced spicy bitterness. Full body, fairly sweet. Soft and velvety mouthfeel, despite the full body and fairly high alcohol level. Exceptionally well balanced. Very nice.
On tap at Epic Brewing in Denver. Pours a hazy copper colour with a slightly creamy off white head. Aroma is heavy in caramel and toffee, kind of buttery with a distinct oak character. Taste is rich and sweet throughout, really nice. Creamy mouth feel, fuller body, and soft carbonation. Overall a really great beer.
Bottle. Hazy orange with a tiny off white head. Smoley and fruity tones. Fruit, oak, vanilla and caramel. Full body with a very nice bitter sweet finish.
Release 28. 11.0%. 22oz bottle pours a brown color without much head. Lots of sticky sweet malt. Some smoke and oak. But mostly just the sweetness overpowers. Perhaps I held onto this too long (about a year).
On tap at the Flying Saucer by the lake. Poured a hazy dark amber with a frothy cream top and nice lacing. Tasted of caramel malts, peat, boozy, woody, with a subtle smoke finish. Lively carbonation, medium body
Lots of aromas - smoke, bourbon, sweetness and oak. Hops seem to add perfume.
Small off-white head. Dark Amber color with some light cloudiness.
Palate is heavy on sweetness, medium body; average to a bit soft carbonation. Finish is long, sweet, smoky and bourbon.
Overall I like the bourbon and honey-like sweetness and the light oak and bourbon. Still the base beer is not too remarkable.
From a bottle at the brewery. Pours hazy copper with a fizzy off white head. Tastes like smokey wood, rich roasted malt, light chocolate, and light ash. Light body and low carbonation. Smells like smokey wood, chocolate, rich roasted malt, and light ash.
Deep copper, clear, thin white head. Aroma of sweet malts, over-ripe dark fruits, vanilla, light smoky notes, some lighter fruity notes of banana. Flavor: toasty malt with some caramel sweetness, more dark fruit, cherry wood smoky notes re evident, whisky barrel, leathery notes and some earthy spice.
1 pint bottle. Pours dark brown with minimal head. Strong smoke and Dark fruit aroma. Taste follows with really nice finish. Really interesting brew....I’m digging it!
I was intrigued by the name.... Peat and smoky malty excellence totally distract from the esthery weirdness that normally make me hate belgian beers. I like it a lot!
Aroma is oak and bourbon, flavor is sweet vanilla and Carmel along with bourbon... Really nice
Bottle. Batch #19. Hazy caramel color w thin head and low carbonation. Sweet scotch caramel aroma and taste. Smooth slick mouthfeel w a pronounced but not overpowering alcohol and oakiness. I don't get any smokiness which is a bit disappointing as I was looking for the peat. Still a solid sipping beer.
Booze honey pouring a sticky brown amber. White lacing head. Vanilla, cherries brandy oak. Yeast. Really good
A lot of smoke, thick yeast. True to form on what is promised,and drinkable but not very drinkable.
Deep amber with a light cream head. Nose is light smoke, rich malts, florals, toffee and caramel. Thick palate, toffee, alcohol, smoke, florals, great finish.