Epic Son of a Baptist 6Pk

Epic Son of a Baptist 6-Pack is an 8% ABV American imperial stout brewed with regional small-batch coffee and cacao nibs. Scoring a 93 on BeerAdvocate across more than 600 reviews, this rotating-release stout from Epic Brewing Company stands out for its ever-changing coffee character — each batch features beans from a different roaster, making every release stamp a unique drinking experience.

Quick Facts: ABV: 8%  |  Origin: Salt Lake City, UT  |  Style: American Imperial Stout  |  Brewery: Epic Brewing Company

Production & Heritage

Epic Brewing Company launched in Salt Lake City, Utah, and expanded with a second facility in Denver, Colorado, in 2013. Son of a Baptist is built on a complex malt bill of ultra-premium Muntons Marris Otter, 2-Row Brewers Malt, Black Malt, Crystal Malt, Chocolate Malt, Roasted Barley, Cara-Aroma, and Demerara Sugar, then hopped with Nugget, Chinook, and Cascade varieties. What truly defines this beer is its partnership model: Epic collaborates with creative, passionate coffee roasters from around the country, selecting different beans for each release. The addition of cacao nibs reinforces the stout's chocolate backbone, while the rotating coffee component means no two batches taste identical — the release stamp on each package signals which roaster and bean were used.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Dark roasted coffee leads immediately, followed by bittersweet chocolate and a subtle earthy malt depth. Depending on the release, you may catch hints of dried fruit or caramel sweetness beneath the roast.

Taste: The entry is malty and sweet, quickly layering into rich milk chocolate and a jammy coffee tone at mid-palate. Cacao nibs contribute a fudge-like quality — reviewers frequently liken the peak flavor to a frozen fudge pop — while the hop bitterness stays measured, never overpowering the roast and sweetness interplay.

Finish: The finish is moderately long with a dry coffee mouthfeel that lingers well after each sip. Residual roasted barley and dark chocolate bitterness keep it grounded rather than cloying.

How to Drink Son of a Baptist

Pour into a snifter or tulip glass at 45–50°F to let the coffee and chocolate aromatics open fully; allowing it to warm slightly as you drink reveals more malt sweetness and fruit undertones. This is a sipping stout — its 8% ABV and dense flavor reward a slow pace. For a dessert-style serve, float a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream on top for an imperial stout float. Son of a Baptist also works well in a Beer Affogato, poured over espresso gelato to amplify its coffee character. A Black Velvet riff using Son of a Baptist in place of a standard stout, topped with sparkling wine, creates an unexpectedly rich contrast of roast and effervescence.

Best For

• Gifting a craft beer enthusiast who collects rotating or limited releases
• Pairing with a chocolate dessert course at a dinner party
• Cold-weather evening sessions when a rich, warming stout fits the mood
• Side-by-side tastings comparing different Son of a Baptist release stamps

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Son of a Baptist taste like? Son of a Baptist delivers rich milk chocolate, jammy coffee sweetness, and roasted barley depth, finishing dry with a lingering coffee mouthfeel. The rotating coffee beans mean each release stamp carries slightly different flavor nuances.

How does Son of a Baptist compare to Founders Breakfast Stout? Both are coffee-forward imperial stouts, but Son of a Baptist rotates its coffee source with every release, giving it more batch-to-batch variation than Founders Breakfast Stout's consistent profile. Reviewers have noted that Son of a Baptist compares extremely favorably, with a slightly jammier sweetness and more prominent cacao character.

Is Son of a Baptist good for sipping neat? Absolutely — the layered malt bill, coffee, and cacao nibs give it enough complexity to reward slow, contemplative drinking from a snifter at cellar temperature.

Where is Son of a Baptist made? Son of a Baptist is brewed by Epic Brewing Company, founded in Salt Lake City, Utah, with an additional brewing facility in Denver, Colorado, that opened in 2013.

What foods pair well with Son of a Baptist? Smoked brisket benefits from the stout's roast and sweetness cutting through the fat. Dark chocolate truffles echo the cacao nib addition. Vanilla bean cheesecake contrasts the coffee bitterness with creamy sweetness. Blue cheese plays well against the malt's caramel undertones. Mole-sauced dishes mirror the beer's chocolate-and-spice complexity.

What sizes does Son of a Baptist come in? Son of a Baptist is available in a 6-pack format, making it one of the more accessible imperial stout offerings for sharing or stocking at home.

Is Son of a Baptist worth the price? Son of a Baptist positions as a premium craft imperial stout, and its 93 BeerAdvocate score alongside specialty ingredients like cacao nibs and rotating single-origin coffee beans place it firmly in competitive territory with other top-tier coffee stouts at its price tier.

Why Son of a Baptist?

The rotating coffee roaster model is the single biggest differentiator here — where most coffee stouts deliver the same profile batch after batch, Son of a Baptist is deliberately unpredictable, rewarding repeat buyers with genuinely new flavor territory on each release. That approach has earned it a 93 on BeerAdvocate and more than 55,000 ratings on Untappd, confirming broad critical and consumer approval. The malt bill is unusually elaborate for the style, layering seven malts plus Demerara sugar to build a foundation sturdy enough to support bold coffee and cacao additions without thinning out. At 8% ABV, it hits the imperial stout threshold while remaining approachable enough to enjoy across a full 6-pack session.