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Top 112 Dark Beers
Dark beers are a fascinating and varied subcategory that spans a wide breadth of styles from sours to porters to stouts to black IPAs.
#11
97
by Pat Mulloy
Vanilla Chai Bourbon Stout
pFriem Family Brewers
#10
97
by Pat Mulloy
The Partner Ships Series: Stone Brewing Co.
Heavy Seas Beer
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Brewer Q & A
When thinking of dark beers, IPAs do not normally spring to mind. But with so much incredible experimentation going on in the hoppy beer sphere, both Black IPAs and Brown IPAs qualify for this list. This brew is a stunning example of the latter. A collaboration between Heavy Seas and Stone Brewing for the former's Partner Ships Series, this Brown IPA is brewed with blackstrap molasses for a lip-smacking, but never cloying, sweetness that balances beautifully with the hop-forward character of its base style.
#9
97
by James Link
Lone Buffalo
Wild Leap Brew Co.
#8
97
by Randy Scorby
Parabola
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
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Brewer Q & A
Firestone Walker Brewing Co. in Paso Robles, California is world-renowned for its barrel-aged program and perhaps the crown jewel of that collection is Parabola, a Russian Imperial Oatmeal Stout of the highest caliber. We reviewed this beer in 2016, when the base beer was aged in a blend of Elijah Craig, Four Roses, Pappy Van Winkle, Woodford Reserve and Buffalo Trace barrels (what a line-up). The 2017 variant was aged solely in Heaven Hill barrels, but either way, this is a world-class dark beer that's strikingly complex and loaded with rich vanilla flavors and roasty elements.
#7
98
by Phil Farrell
Gonzo Imperial Porter
Flying Dog Brewery
Festooned with striking artwork from fabled artist (and Hunter S. Thompson confidant) Ralph Steadman, this intense Baltic Porter lives up to Thompson and Steadman's zany vision. Flying Dog Brewery in Baltimore, Maryland is known for pushing the envelope, and this beer, in all its roasty, toasty glory, certainly fits that bill.
#6
98
by BC Review
Speedway Stout
AleSmith Brewing Company
A most beloved Imperial Stout that has spawned numerous variants loaded with adjuncts from AleSmith Brewing Co. in San Diego, California, the original remains one of the gold standards for well-made Imperial Stouts. Finding this one has become easier as the rarer barrel-aged and limited-release offerings make the beer-trading rounds, so do yourself a favor and try this classic if you have not yet been able to. It's even available in cans now!
#5
98
by Joseph Formanek
pFriem Mexican Chocolate Stout
pFriem Family Brewers
A delightful spiced chocolate stout with a deluge of chocolaty aromas and flavors interspersed with nutmeg, cinnamon and even some Pasilla peppers for an extra zing of heat. A wonderful brew for the holidays, or if you’re simply in the mood for a rich, complex chocolate stout.
#4
98
by BC Review
Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier
Brauerei Heller-Trum
A smoldering Rauchbier from Bamberg, Germany, Brauerei Heller-Trum's Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier is a standard bearer for the Smoke Beer style. This beer pairs beautifully with rich, savory meats or to drink alongside epic medieval movies or Game of Thrones. Filling, delicious and unique, this dark beer is one of the most unique on the list as world-class Rauchbiers are hard to find in the wild of bottle shops and liquor stores.
#3
98
by Dan Martich
Barrel Aged Brownie Batter Blend #1
Pontoon Brewing
Who doesn’t love brownies?! Clearly the brewers at Pontoon Brewing in Sandy Springs, Georgia are big fans of the chewy, gooey desserts that melt in your mouth when made to perfection. This big, boozy barrel-aged stout features a massive body that goes down as smoothy as velvet. The lack of adjuncts sets this beer apart from its peers – as its flavors all come from standard beer ingredients and its time spent in barrels. Amazing!
#2
98
by Joseph Formanek
Bomb!
Prairie Artisan Ales
And it comes to this. That's right, Prairie Artisan Ales' Bomb! is our best-ever dark beer. An immensely complex and powerhouse Imperial Stout, Bomb! is loaded with complexity from start to finish. An adjunct-filled journey of sensory delight, this 14 percent ABV Imperial Stout is loaded with the following ingredients: coffee, chocolate, vanilla beans and ancho chili peppers. Brewed with an intense malt bill to help support the monstrous amounts of coffee and chocolate, the lilting sweetness of the vanilla mingles playfully with the fiery heat from the chili peppers. Everything comes together beautifully in the end to create an intoxicating cocktail of sweetness, heat and pure, unadulterated craft beer joy.
#1
99
by Pat Mulloy
Lone Buffalo: Cherry Brandy Barrel Aged Stout
Wild Leap Brew Co.
In 2022, we updated this article and, in doing so, crowned a new top dark beer of all time… and here it is. Wild Leap Brew Co. had previously unleashed a dark beer in its Lone Buffalo series that scored a whopping World Class score of 97, and then they one-upped themselves with this near-perfect brew that our judge hailed as “an almost perfect barrel-aged stout.” A cornucopia of aromas ranging from nuts, mocha, cherry, dark dried fruit and mild hit of vanilla explode from the glass and the flavors follow suit, as this beer sashays down your gullet – making an impression with every sip. Scores of 99 are extremely rare in our history, but this one certainly merits it as the best dark beer we’ve ever reviewed.
Thanks for reading about these luscious dark beers! Did we miss any of your favorites? Let us know in the comments or on social media.