Epic Brewing 'Big Bad Baptista' Whiskey Barrel Aged Imperial Stout 2017. 11.5% abv. Deep black in color with two fingers of creamy mocha head that slowly recedes to a thick sustaining surface. Outstanding retention and superb lacing. Nose of bourbon, almond, cinnamon, vanilla, cocoa powder. Aroma lingers down to the last drops in the glass.

First taste is semi-sweet dark chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla, oak expression throughout, whiskey coming through on the back end. Aftertaste is black coffee, vanilla, almond cookie, with an alcohol sustain and sweet finish. Big body. Mouthfeel is hot, rich, boozy, creamy, clingy.

This is an outstanding beer, a bounty of rich flavors that have mellowed well in the year since its release. The many tastes of chocolate, spice, coffee, whiskey, and wood all merge together beautifully. Each flavor can be singled out, yet they do not fight for attention, achieving a perfect balance. Each sip was savory, smooth, and slightly sweet, with a touch of boozy punch. A special, marvelous, well-crafted beer. Highly recommended.


From the brewery:

"Rare Release 2017. Big Bad Baptista is inspired by traditional Mexican coffee, Café de Olla, which is served with cinnamon and piloncillo, an unrefined sugar. The Cinnamon adds another layer of complexity and accentuates the earthy character of Mexican Coffee, but more importantly, it captures the essence of a place and its culture. As beverage geeks we wanted to pay homage to that rich tradition and offer our unique take. Big Bad Baptista is a combination of Vanilla, Cinnamon, Mexican coffee roasted by Blue Copper, and Solstice Chocolate cacao nibs. It’s luxurious to say the least, with a pleasant warming sensation generated by the cinnamon and alcohol. Enjoying the interplay of chocolate, malt, oak, and spice is the perfect way to spend a cool evening, with friends around a fire."
[source: epicbrewing.com]

"Inspired by the spicy and bold flavors of a Café de Olla, we added vanilla and cinnamon along with Mexican coffee beans and cacao nibs to out 100% barrel-aged Big Bad Baptist. The result is luxurious, complex, and the perfect after-dinner companion on chilly evenings."
[source: bottle]

My friend Chris and I shared a bomber of Big Bad Baptista with a couple of cigars. A perfect combination.

Big Sky Brewing 'Moose Drool' Brown Ale. 5.1% abv. 26 IBU. Dark brown color. Nearly two fingers of ivory head. Good retention and low-moderate lace. Nose of malt, nutty, slight smoke. Front taste of caramel, roasted malt, notes of dark fruit. Aftertaste of caramel, earthy hops, distant bitter. Thin-medium body. Mouthfeel is thin, small bead carb.

This is a decent brown ale, certainly an example of its category, but unfortunately nothing more. The nutty and smoky notes of the aroma do not carry over to the taste which is largely roasted malt. There is some hop presence in the aftertaste but not nearly enough to stand this beer above the fold. The promised mix of different malts and hops are barely detectable, failing to create any complexity.

Brown ale is one of my favorite beer styles, and many people love Moose Drool, so I was unexpectedly disappointed. It fits its category, but is not impressive or memorable. I originally ended this review with "pass on this one." However, I won't discourage you from trying one - you may well enjoy it like many others do - but I can't recommend it either. Like many other beers I've reviewed, I can and do enjoy this beer, but it is far from my first choice.

From the brewery:

"Moose Drool is the world's premier brown ale. For a dark beer, it is extremely drinkable and excellent complement to most foods. Four different malts are used in this brew. We also do four hop additions consisting of a combination of East Kent Goldings' Liberty and Willamette."
[source: bigskybrew.com]

Sierra Nevada 'Bigfoot Ale' 2015. Barleywine Style Ale. 9.6% abv. Amber-ruby color. Two fingers of thick, creamy tan head. Outstanding retention and superb lacing. Nose of rich malt, caramel, herbal hops, woodsy. Front taste of tall malt, toffee, bittersweet dark fruit, botanicals. Aftertaste is abundant bitter-herbal hops, dark chocolate, raisins. Full body. Mouthfeel is warm-hot, creamy, astringent.

This is wonderful big beer, one of the original barleywine-style brews of the microbrew age. Over the years, there have been variations of it, most notably the barrel-aged treasure, but this standard Bigfoot is my favorite, a go-to big beer that I look forward to every holiday season. Lots of dark, creamy, fruity, and spicy flavors in each sip that makes for a nicely complex taste overall. A classic and standard in its category, great fresh out of the bottle or you can age it another year for a more mellow, richer taste. Either way, I love this beer. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Our cult-classic beast of a barleywine. Bigfoot is a beast of a beer, brimming with bold flavors of bittersweet malt and heaps of aggressive whole-cone Pacific Northwest hops. First introduced in the winter of 1983, Bigfoot is a cult-classic beer brewed in the barleywine style, meaning a strong, robust, bruiser of a beer with the refined intensity of a wine. Bigfoot is prized by beer collectors for its supreme cellarability. Under the proper conditions, it can age like a fine wine, developing new flavors and character as it matures in the bottle. Each new release or 'expedition' is vintage dated. Collect your own and see the flavors develop and progress."
[source: sierranevada.com]

Petaluma Hills 'Big House Blonde' Belgian-Style Blonde Ale. 6.4% abv. 24.7 IBU. Hazy honey color. Thin white head. Moderate retention, very little lace. Nose of light malt, floral, flat grain. Front taste of grassy-herbal grain, wheat, bitter hop back. Aftertaste is yeasty, earthy bitter hops, sustain is harsh grassy. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, dank.

This beer starts out well enough but is plagued by an unpleasant yeast taste that's present throughout, particularly in the aftertaste. It makes for a beer that's overly earthy, almost like soil in flavor. The brief head and almost zero lacing do not help the overall impression. Disappointing.

My friend took a trip to Petaluma and bought this beer for me, from a small nano-brewery across the street from the mighty Lagunitas Brewing. Based on this beer, it seems that Lagunitas has nothing to worry about. Pass on this one.

From the brewery:

"This Belgian style Blonde Ale is made with Belgian pilsen and Belgian aromatic malts plus lots of East Kent Goldings hops for lots of flavor. However, it's the Belgian Abbey yeast that defines this ale, adding a spicy bonus to a crisp, clean taste."

[source: petalumahills.com]

Room 101 'The Big Payback' Chavala by Camacho. 5x50. Medium brown wrap. Excellent build with straight lines and smooth surface, minimal veins. Cut was poor, with a crown that fell apart. Light was fine, took a minute. Medium draw pre-light. Smooth easy draw post-draw. First half taste of hard wood, walnut, strong spice. Second half is leather, woods, peppery, strong leaf. Ash is clean, evenly marbled, holding to two inches. Burn was mostly even down to the band.

This is an excellent cigars that was plagued by a poorly crafted crown. Considering the quality in the other components of this stick, I'm assuming it was a fluke. I'm keen on trying this cigar again, or another in its line, to be sure. The lasting impression saved it for me. Recommended.

From the company:

"Matt Booth, a jeweler by trade, created the Room 101 cigar brand to compliment his silver accessory line of the same name. More of a lifestyle than simply a brand, Room 101 quickly became popular with cigar smokers around the world. And as a thank you to his supporters, Matt Booth created this, The Big Payback cigar. In a word, this commemorative cigar is big – big in size, body, and flavor. As a Nicaraguan Puro, it is spicy, but balanced by a savory combination of bitter coffee, inviting wood, and smooth leather. Light up Room 101’s The Big Payback to discover a perfect draw and burn that you’ll enjoy straight through to the luxurious finish."
[source: jrcigars.com]

The cut was so poor that the binder was exposed an inch down from the crown. Fortunately, the draw was not compromised. I consider this defect a fluke.

Out Of Bounds 'Big Gun' Chocolate Maple Porter. 5.6% abv. Black color. Thin white head falls fast to a ring. Low retention. Nice lace. Nose of roasted malt, cocoa powder, faint maple. Front taste of bitter chocolate, roasted malt, dark fruit on the back end. Aftertaste of bitter cocoa, bitter herbal hops. Medium-thin body. Mouthfeel was warm, small carb.

This beer was good but not great, certainly not up to expectations. The maple was barely present in the aroma, and was absent otherwise. The chocolate was up front in the nose but took a backseat in the tasting. Simply put, it tasted like a run-of-the-mill porter, which isn't bad unless you consider the premium price for this bottle. Not recommended.

From the brewery:

"The Big Gun Granite Quarry began operation in Rocklin, CA in 1864. Named after the device that was used to fracture the rock, it supplied granite to build the California State Capital, many of San Francisco’s landmark buildings including the Transamerica Pyramid as well as the Naval Station at Pearl Harbor. We salute this hometown landmark of industry, the people who kept digging and those who hope to reclaim it. Our Big Gun blends Ecuadorian cocoa with Grade A maple syrup to compliment a well-balanced porter. The Cocoa nose and subtle maple finish will leave you digging deeper!"
[source: outofboundsbrewing.com]

Ballast Point Big Eye IPA. 7% abv. 70 IBU. Copper color. Thick head with excellent retention and lacing, even in a sampling glass. Nose of caramel. Malty taste with bright spots of hops. Aftertaste is rich, malty, hoppy, and sustaining. Best brew of the night. Unusually malty for an IPA, but I'm okay with that. Wonderful brew.

From the brewery:

"The beer that helped put San Diego IPA’s on the map. Our Big Eye IPA is a big hoppy brew, thanks to the abundance of American Columbus and Centennial varieties we use to flavor and dry hop. While the English originally added extra hops to preserve their beers for sea travel, we do it for the love of all that bold, intense flavor that makes India Pale Ale one of our favorite styles."