Best Dark Beer?

[CycloneYoda]

New Belgium 1554 end of discussion

While I do enjoy this particular brew, it is nowhere close to "end of discussion" status. Contrary to some beliefs, New Belgium is not the cornerstone of beer makers.

[ianoconnor]

There is a brooklyn brewery big bottle called black ops. It's an imperial stout and pretty good.

Really, really want to try this. I visited the brewery this past summer. Good tour.

[ISU4Life]

Confluence in DSM has a really good dark IPA.

This is the best Black IPA I have had.

[Cybyassociation]

This is the best Black IPA I have had.

Try Wookey Jack from Firestone Walker if you ever make it into the Chicago area. That one is superb.

[ILiftWithRoyce]

My fav is Sam Adams Cream Stout. Easy to find and relatively cheap

[CivEFootball]

I can't remember who made it, but my roommate had a double chocolate oatmeal stout.

Well Rouge makes a double chocolate oatmeal stout but usually doesn't distribute to Iowa.

[ianoconnor]

Rogue is regularly distributed in Iowa.

[clonetil01]

I'm at Founders most Fridays for lunch, and while their Breakfast Stout is very good, they make one called Frangelic Stout, served on Nitro, and it's easily the best beer I've ever had(it's a Hazelnut Chocolate Coffee Stout). The good thing is it's only 4.5% which means I can have a couple at lunch and still get back to work, not in the back of a cop car.
Here's the top three outside of that beer:

1) Goose Island Bourbon County Stout-15.5% No one even touches this
2) Founders KBS-14% I believe and it's as close to GI Bourbon as you can get
3) Hebrew Jubulation Ale-Very Rare but if you can find it, don't let the $16.00 per 22oz bottle scare you off. It's 16% and it's unbelievable.

[Big12Cy]

As far as Brown Ales, Moose Drool is one of my favorites, but I think Abita Turbodog is a great one as well.

[NickTheGreat]

As far as Brown Ales, Moose Drool is one of my favorites, but I think Abita Turbodog is a great one as well.

Interesting. I've had Moose Drool and it was good. But I've had a few different Abita ones and they all sucked. I'll have to try the Turbodog.

[dmclone]

My taste in bears must be weird. I like a lot of the oatmeal stouts but hate Sam Smith's.

If any of you are on untappd, shoot me an IM so I can add you.

[colbycheese]

If any of you are on untappd, shoot me an IM so I can add you.

Done.

Same goes for PM'ing me if anybody else is on it.

[Al_4_State]

Most definitely. If you have time some weekend, roll up to the brewery itself. It's absolutely beautiful and their "Beer Depot" usually has some good beers you wont find in a lot of stores.

Its on the to-do list. The brewery is only about 2.5 hours from me.

[Al_4_State]

That triggered my memory of another great one. Duck Rabbit Milk Stout is probably the most popular beer brewed locally here in North Carolina. I think they distribute outside of NC too.


In regards to "Black IPAs", "Dark IPAs", etc., there is a debate among the brewing community as to what that style should be called, because a "Black India Pale Ale" is an oxymoron, and it's a style that was developed in Vermont. Therefore that name will only confuse customers since it isn't a pale ale, and the style wasn't shipped to India during the colonial period. The general direction people are going for a name for the style is American Black Ale... just in case people were interested. It's probably my favorite dark beer style, because 1) it's hoppy, and 2) it doesn't have any of the astringent flavors that dark roast malts have. If you closed your eyes and tried it, you wouldn't know it was a dark beer.

I find Black IPAs (whatever you want to call them) fairly roasty. Enough that I think I would guess its a darker beer when I tried it, I think.

[dmclone]

Does any place around DM carry Bell's Hopslam? It's on my list...

Two hearted ale is one of my all time favorites although Surly Furious may have overtook it.