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The 16 Best Dark Beers To Enjoy This Winter
Once upon a time, you could fit what I knew about dark beers onto the back of a postage stamp.
Through rigorous study and some not insignificant taste testing, I’ve been able to improve my knowledge base to at least hold a reasonable conversation with professional dark beer devotees.
While there is a huge (and often confusing) range in dark beer variety – from porter and stout to dark lager, sour beer, and even India Pale Ale versions – I’ve fallen back on what works best for me as a beer drinker.
Flavor and enjoyment.
The following collection of dark beers to enjoy this winter covers different types of darker beer that will help introduce flavor and enjoyment to your beer fridge, particularly if you are new (or nearly new) to enjoying this fascinating genre.
While hardly an exhaustive study, the list features some great American craft beer alongside some recognizable favorites from across the globe.
As always, drink responsibly!
Best Buy I’m a firm believer in Sierra Nevada beers being some of the best beer the USA has to offer, and if you are looking for a top-quality dark beer they have you covered. Brewed at 11.9% ABV (almost double the strength of a standard stout) and aged in American bourbon barrels, it’s got an impressively powerful mouthfeel combining creamy malt with the woodiness of oak and vanilla. You’ll taste hints of chocolate and espresso on the palate, however, the challenger hops give it just enough pop and bitterness to cut the sweet flavor of malts such as two-row pale, caramel, chocolate, honey, Carafa III, and roasted barley. One for the traditional style beer lovers, this Russian Imperial stout is a big-bodied delight.1. Sierra Nevada Narwhal Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout
Westmalle Dubbel is a classically dark, reddish-brown Trappist beer that’s had a secondary fermentation in the bottle (hence the name Dubbel). A Trappist brewery does not create a set style of beer. It denotes that the beer has been brewed at a Trappist Monastery. There are only 11 in the world that are entitled to carry the “Authentic Trappist Product” label. Westmalle Dubbel is attractive in the glass, with a creamy head and the fragrance of malt. It’s rich and complex on the tongue, featuring a soft mouthfeel augmented by herby spices and a fruity yet slightly bitter finish. If you are looking for a quintessentially Belgian dark beer made by Trappist monks, this quality bottle is hard to go past.2. Westmalle Dubbel
Sure, this may be a boring addition, however, there are plenty of reasons why this famous dark Irish dry stout has been entrancing customers since 1759 across 150 countries. Despite its reputation as a thick dark beer, Guinness Irish stout has a lot in common with lager, given it’s a sessionable 4.2% ABV that contains a similar amount of calories in the glass. Its rich and creamy mouthfeel from malted barley makes it the ideal entry point for those new to stout. If you are looking for a heavier, more traditional stout beer style, then Guinness Extra Stout will appeal. You’ll notice the slightly different label, brighter, more bitter flavor, and higher ABV (5.6%) on the can. With the Guinness Extra Stout, you’ll notice roasted barley and the added crispness of carbonation in the beer’s flavor.3. Guinness Draft/Guinness Extra Stout
I was extremely tempted to put this Oatmeal Stout at the top of this best beer list based on name alone, so it’s a bonus that West Coast brewer Firestone Walker’s Velvet Merkin tastes full and rich. Dark beers like oatmeal stout offer an oilier, fuller mouthfeel than traditional milk stouts and tend to ramp up the malty flavor. For relative novices such as myself, there’s not a huge amount of difference in taste, and it does feel at times that a knife and fork may make consumption a bit easier. Velvet Merkin offers chocolate, espresso, and vanilla bean on the nose, and a palate of malty caramel and dark chocolate. It’s an interesting, drinkable oatmeal stout that should serve as a compelling comparison to other varieties of darker beer.4. Firestone Walker Velvet Merkin
The Bourbon County Brand Stout from Illinois brewer Goose Island has been a huge success. While they have a few different variations, the original – brewed in honor of the 1000th batch at the Clybourn brewpub – is a darker beer worth savoring. Bourbon County Stout is a true black beer that pours with a head reminiscent of the bourbon barrel aging process. The nose mixes oak, chocolate, vanilla bean, and whiskey woodsmoke. With the high alcohol content and intense, aromatic flavors, Goose Island Bourbon County Stout is definitely a bottle for those who love dark beers, more so than the new entrant.5. Goose Island Bourbon County Stout
A quality stout with a Mexican hot chocolate vibe from iconic West Coast producer Stone Brewing, Xocoveza Stout was originally a special collaboration – based on homebrewer Chris Banker’s competition winner – that became a part of the fabric of the company’s seasonal craft beer lineup. Xocoveza Stout features coffee, pasilla peppers, vanilla bean, cinnamon, nutmeg, and Stone Brewing’s in-house-made chocolate. Xocoveza is a winter release favorite that should be part of any dark beer lover’s beer fridge rotation.6. Stone Brewing Co. Xocoveza Stout
Nut Brown Ale is relatively dry with a rich amber-brown color, a pleasantly subtle nutty aroma, and flavors of caramel malt, rich brown bread, and dried red fruits. Brown ales are a specialty of northern England (the most popular of which is Newcastle Brown Ale) which are fermented in stone Yorkshire squares (square tanks made from slate). This full brown malt beer is brewed at Samuel Smith’s small, traditional British brewery with well water (the original well sunk in 1758 is still in use) and features the best barley malt, roasted barley, yeast, and aromatic hops. The flavor is derived exclusively from small amounts of dark malt put into the mix. While it’s not everyone’s preferred beer type, a quality brown ale like this offers something for the beer drinker who’s had enough German pilsners, American lagers, or craft brewery IPAs.7. Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale
Described as a “diner breakfast” in a pint glass, this interesting porter offers a medium-bodied, flavorsome mix of malt and coffee alongside the sweetness of maple syrup, but without the cloying thickness. It’s a truly unique tasting beer – there’s an enjoyable hint of smokey bacon in the background – yet this brew is an unmistakable porter, complete with layers of dark brown malt, coffee, and vanilla. Funky Buddha’s approach to brewing is “big, bold flavors made exactingly with natural ingredients.” If you have a knack for flavor and love the best experimental dark beer options, then Funky Buddha’s Maple Bacon Coffee Porter will be right up your alley.8. Funky Buddha Maple Bacon Coffee Porter
Founders Brewing Co. is a Michigan brewery that makes some of the best dark beer iterations anywhere. While the different variations are beyond me (a mere novice) to figure out, there’s something for every dark beer lover. This KBS “Kentucky Breakfast Stout” is an imperial stout brewed with massive amounts of coffee and chocolate, that is then cave-aged in oak bourbon barrels for a year. The resultant beer offers roasted coffee intensity but with oak notes, hints of caramel and chocolate, and a lovely, slightly sweet bourbon aftertaste. By the time you reach the bottom of your pint glass, you’ll notice the warmth and strength of the 12.3% ABV, but initially, it’s just an afterthought. A classically thick American Imperial stout, you’ll only be looking to savor one or two KBS pints at any one sitting.9. Founders Brewing Co. KBS
Gouden Carolus Classic is fresh and enjoyable, particularly when paired with a variety of strongly flavored dishes, cheeses, and pate. Named after King Charles V, this unique dark beer could almost be classed as a stout, yet is categorized as a Belgian strong ale bottled at 8.5% ABV. Its richness is contrasted nicely by the bitterness of hops that helps augment a slightly sour profile. While not my style beer of choice, Gouden Carolus Classic can certainly be a great companion for feasting or enjoying after dinner with a nice cigar.10. Gouden Carolus Classic
Péché Mortel (French for “Mortal Sin”) is brewed by Quebecois brewery Dieu du Ciel. This bottle is an intensely black Russian Imperial-style stout featuring pronounced roasted malt flavor with a huge infusion of coffee. Fairtrade coffee is added during the brewing process to intensify the bitterness of the beer, which contrasts nicely against the high alcohol content. If you’re after a heavy stout with malty flavor intensity this is the type of dark beer to accelerate your knowledge levels.11. Péché Mortel
Not all darker beer offerings need to be so stolid and serious. This brew from Colorado’s Left Hand tastes just like a boozy Peanut Butter Cup. This beer adds to the creamy chocolate overtones of a classic milk stout, with the added dimension of peanut butter. Left Hand Peanut Butter Milk Stout makes for a fantastic dessert beer or nightcap!12. Left Hand Peanut Butter Milk Stout
An American imperial stout available year round from Colorado’s Great Divide, Yeti is a bombastic onslaught of malty goodness. Yeti is pitch black, barely carbonated, and sits heavy in a pint glass, full of dark chocolate and roasted malt flavor on the nose and tongue. Dark coffee bitterness follows on the finish, alleviating the nearly 10% ABV. A great, well-rounded craft beer for the Imperial stout novice, you’ll want to take Great Divide Yeti one beer at a time.13. Great Divide Yeti Imperial Stout
I could have gone with a number of different darker beer options from quality Oregon brewery Deschutes but settled on this porter. More complex than a heavier stout, Black Butte is a subtler mix of malt and flavorsome chocolate, balanced by a nice pop of bitterness provided by the combination of Cascade, Bravo, and Tettnang hops. If you want something a little more measured, with a lower ABV that retains a focus on hoppiness, Deschutes Black Butte Porter is well worth a look.14. Deschutes Black Butte Porter
Consecration is a barrel-aged beer from Russian River, the craft brewery behind the brilliant Pliny the Elder Imperial India Pale Ale. This is a heavy ABV (10.5%) American wild ale that uses wild yeast to create spontaneous fermentation. The strong – as far as dark sour beers go – ale was aged for six months inside used cabernet sauvignon oak barrels with currants added. Consecration offers powerful scents of funky red fruit, grape, and plum, with flavors of sour cherry, nectarine, kumquat, apricot, and plum, before making way for a tart cherry heavy finish. Consecration is one of the rare medium-bodied sour beers with a complex underlying sweetness that belies traditional description.15. Russian River Brewing Consecration
This dark beer from Minneapolis craft brewery Hairless Dog is “specifically brewed for those who crave a roasted malt flavor, and an ultra-smooth finish, without an overly bitter bite.” Alcohol-free beer has rapidly moved from an afterthought to a commercially viable beer market focus for big brewing companies and independent craft beer producers. Hairless Dog Brewing also offers three other non-alcoholic beer options: IPA, Citra lager, and coffee stout, which suits any traditional beer lover looking to enjoy an alcohol-free beverage. If you’re after the American craft beer experience but without alcohol, then the Hairless Dog craft beer range is for you.16. Hairless Dog Black Ale Non-Alcoholic Beer
