David Cole – Co-Founder

Peter Erickson – Co-Founder

Our Breweries: Salt Lake City & Denver 

Epic Brewing Company opened in Salt Lake City, Utah with six fermentation tanks giving it the flexibility to create a variety of small batch, artisanal beer. Within a few short months, Epic began earning medals for its beers domestically and internationally. The beer became a big hit with locals and out of state visitors alike and demand quickly increased. The brewery currently houses eight times its original fermentation space.

Three years later, in 2013, Epic expanded its brewery operations into Colorado by opening a second brewery in the River North district of downtown Denver. The Denver brewery offered enough space to support growing national distribution, expansion of the popular barrel aged beer program and the introduction of a line of sour beers. Along with these improvements the addition of a “proper” tap room featuring 25 taps was a long awaited realization, allowing Epic to feature its substantial beer selection on draught.

Despite the rapid expansion and increase in production volume Epic Brewing has stayed committed to its founding principal of small batch, artisanal beer. Every batch released in the Elevated and Exponential series is numbered, stamped, and release information is published online. Currently brewing 39 plus beers Epic believes there is a beer for every person and every occasion.”

The mainstays for Epic Brewing include their Pfieifferhorn Lager and Spiral Jetty IPA. Their Elevated and Exponential series includes the Brainless Belgian-style golden ale, the barley wine ale, and this week’s imperial stout.

The notes for the imperial stout read “One Big Bad Imperial Stout with Cocoa nibs and Coffee beans. Each season’s release uses a different dark roasted coffee.” A snifter or a tulip white wine glass is recommended and it pairs with hard cheeses and dark chocolate desserts.

And now onto my thoughts!

Nose: As I take my first whiff I’m greeted with a wave of dark coffee. As the beer warms up, it begins to show off its dark chocolate aromas and gives off an impression that this beer will be worthwhile. The aromas very pleasant and I’m looking forward to how they translate into the beer’s taste. I really like the combination here, and the coffee itself smells delightful.

Palate: Right off the bat I notice the bitterness of the coffee and I like it quite a bit. It dominates the taste of the beer while leaving a bit of room for something else underneath. There’s a hint of sweet chocolate in here that gives it a slight nuance. But for the most part in this case, the coffee is the star of the show. And that’s okay because it’s tasty and the bitterness is a aspect choice for me.

Overall: This beer is rock solid! If you like coffee in your stouts, the flavor here is plentiful. I wish the sweetness would stick around for a bit longer because I enjoyed that aspect so much. As we’re getting into the colder weather here on the east coast, this is a great start to a beer that’ll warm you right up.

I’d like to thank you for reading my craft beer review. If there’s ever a craft beer you’d recommend I try and/or review, please let me know and I will try, to the best of my ability, to acquire it! And remember, like a fine alcoholic beverage or a memorable video game, please enjoy in moderation.

While you’re here, feel free to check out The Spirit Shop NJ on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram! Located in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and where I currently work, we have dozens of craft beers with new ones coming in weekly! Check us out!