Apple Cup 2016: Baxter’s beer of the game

Last week, Baxter was excited for what he deemed an epic donnybrook between Colorado and Washington State. Unfortunately, he used all of his favorite old-timey descriptors for that Pier-Sixer, and he is left with little to describe what is an even bigger match-up against Washington in the Apple Cup.

As Baxter has said before, this is his least favorite week of the year. So much dog-bashing (he can’t spell all that well, so he can’t tell that it is actually dawg-bashing).

But I let Baxter know it’s okay to once again use the “epic” descriptor to describe the 2016 Apple Cup. This is the internet, and everything is epic on the internet. Another example of an epic thing is Epic Brewing out of Utah and Colorado. Baxter thought it would be great to bring Epic’s beer together with this epic Apple Cup to create a truly epic experience.

Baxter also wanted a big beer, something rich and strong to counter this Apple Cup battle for the Pac-12 North. Epic provides just the thing, with a little coffee to boot for that early morning tailgating: Big Bad Baptist.

Whiskey barrel-aged stouts are all the rage these days. However, often times the ones that are produced year-round tend to be lacking. It may be because the barrels are lower quality, it may be because the base stout is lighter and doesn’t give that full body you are looking for to counter the whiskey.

Big Bad Baptist is a year-round barrel-aged stout that breaks the mold. It also helps that it isn’t just a straight barrel-aged stout, Epic throws in some delicious adjuncts to raise the level of the beer. It garners a 4.23 rating on Untappd, a level that is generally reserved for one-off or special release beers. Big Bad Baptist is not that, you can frequently find it in finer beer stores.

While it is made year-round, it isn’t always the same. Epic changes up the coffee in each season’s release. You can check the bottle for the release number and cross-check the Epic website to see which coffee was used in your brew.

Craig’s Review: Lots of coffee up front, and the cacoa helps balance out the heat from the whiskey. Not a beer that necessarily needs to age, it is good to go right away. Whiskey notes are present, but not overpowering. Finishes with chocolate, roasty goodness.

Baxter’s Review: Epic beer is epic. Epic game is epic. Please don’t be mean to dogs.

Schooner’s Review: I’m just glad to be included. Can I eat one of these apples?

That’s what Baxter and I will be having as the Cougs battle the Dawgs. What are you drinking on this Apple Cup Friday?