Dark Beer

[TheGSMoeller]

What are your favorites? Please share. I'm thirsty.

[Brian]

Widely Available
Left Hand Milk Stout
Sierra Nevada Porter
Asahi Black

Somewhat Harder to Find
Clown Shoes Chocolate Sombrero Stout
Stone Collaborations 2012 Mint Chocolate Imperial Stout
Left Coast Voodoo Stout
Rahr & Sons Winter Warmer English-Style Ale

Pretty Much Impossible to Find in Most Places, to My Undying Regret
Riggwelter Strong Yorkshire Ale
512 Pecan Porter

Somewhat Less Dark Than the Foregoing
Lobotomy Bock (actually a doppelbock)
Spaten Dunkel; Spaten Optimator

Wishlist
Founder's Porter; Founder's Imperial Stout
Deep Ellum Cherry Chocolate Stout
Kostritzer

[Todd]

I'm not a beer guy - it's just too weak for my whiskey inclined taste - but Red Hook Double Black Stout is pretty good when available.  It's rare even in the microbrew soaked Pacific Northwest.

[bhodges]

Widely Available
Left Hand Milk Stout
Sierra Nevada Porter
Asahi Black

Somewhat Harder to Find
Clown Shoes Chocolate Sombrero Stout
Stone Collaborations 2012 Mint Chocolate Imperial Stout
Left Coast Voodoo Stout
Rahr & Sons Winter Warmer English-Style Ale

Pretty Much Impossible to Find in Most Places, to My Undying Regret
Riggwelter Strong Yorkshire Ale
512 Pecan Porter

Somewhat Less Dark Than the Foregoing
Lobotomy Bock (actually a doppelbock)
Spaten Dunkel; Spaten Optimator

Wishlist
Founder's Porter; Founder's Imperial Stout
Deep Ellum Cherry Chocolate Stout
Kostritzer

Wow, very impressive!  The Sierra Nevada Porter is not only the only one I've tried - it's the only one I've even heard of.

The only dark brew I can recall recently at the moment - other than Guinness, which I love - is Magic Hat's Heart of Darkness, which they offer in the winter, and it's quite good.

--Bruce

[Brian]

Bruce, you should be able to find Asahi Black at any fine Japanese restaurant!

A few of these are microbrews from the west coast that are nationally distributed: fancier liquor stores and groceries like Whole Foods should carry Black Butte Porter, Breckinridge Vanilla Porter, Left Hand Milk Stout (one of my favorite beers ever, and GREAT art on the packaging too), and Lobotomy Bock. Spaten is a fabled German brewery and when I last visited a German restaurant I went through pints of Spaten Dunkel like there was no tomorrow.  Unfortunately many of the beers I listed are Texas-specific: Rahr & Sons, Deep Ellum, and 512 can't be found outside this state, sadly.

I like Magic Hat! I will try Heart of Darkness. I love winter; all the dark beers come out to play!

[North Star]

Impressive indeed, Brian!

Haven't been drinking the stuff so much lately, so I'll probably just follow the thread, and see if anything recommended is available here.

Belhaven Scottish Stout is very nice, though, with no blemishes and excellent chocolaty taste, with just enough bite that it's not too sweet.

[TheGSMoeller]

Widely Available
Left Hand Milk Stout
Sierra Nevada Porter
Asahi Black

Somewhat Harder to Find
Clown Shoes Chocolate Sombrero Stout
Stone Collaborations 2012 Mint Chocolate Imperial Stout
Left Coast Voodoo Stout
Rahr & Sons Winter Warmer English-Style Ale

Pretty Much Impossible to Find in Most Places, to My Undying Regret
Riggwelter Strong Yorkshire Ale
512 Pecan Porter

Somewhat Less Dark Than the Foregoing
Lobotomy Bock (actually a doppelbock)
Spaten Dunkel; Spaten Optimator

Wishlist
Founder's Porter; Founder's Imperial Stout
Deep Ellum Cherry Chocolate Stout
Kostritzer

Wow. You have increased my wish-list by about 500%.

BTW, is that Deep Ellum from Dallas?

[North Star]

I love winter; all the dark beers come out to play!

Yes! Sitting in front of the fireplace, sipping a dark beer (or possibly a whisky) is what those cold winter days are made for. You can also cheat and drink your stout even if it's warmer than -4 °F outside, though 

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Old Rasputin, by North Coast Brewery based in CA, is one of the most powerful and complex dark beers I've ever had. I second the above recommendations for Breckenridge Vanilla Porter, Left Handed Milk Stout, and Belhaven. A nice recent discovery is Rogue Mogul Madness.

[Brian]

BTW, is that Deep Ellum from Dallas?

Yep, I've even toured the brewery. They're going to start bottling things but I don't know if they'll distribute beyond the metro area.

Seconded on Old Rasputin! Delicious.

Oh snap. Almost forgot my #2 favorite beer ever!! St Bernardus Abt 12

[TheGSMoeller]

Yep, I've even toured the brewery. They're going to start bottling things but I don't know if they'll distribute beyond the metro area.

Very cool, I used to frequent Deep Ellum when I lived in Irving. Never had a chance to try this beer.

[Rinaldo]

I hate this thread. It just made me THIRSTY.

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

I hate this thread. It just made me THIRSTY.

Considering where you live, you should be FULL of recommendations.

[Brian]

Rahr & Sons Winter Warmer English-Style Ale

After a year of waiting, this pitch-black English-style dark ale from Fort Worth, TX is back on local supermarket shelves, and it's been worth the wait. Utterly delicious, thick somewhat creamy ale with hints of coffee, chocolate, and wintry warmth. I'm on my second of the year and of the night.

[Rinaldo]

Considering where you live, you should be FULL of recommendations.

True, true! But dark beer isn't that popular here.. it's considered "ladies drink". There are a bunch of small breweries getting out the good stuff, but I must admit I have very bad memory when it comes to drinking beer.. hmm, coincidence?

Aaanyway, a solid standard is Master


which you can find on tap sometimes and the dark variant of Kozel is my personal favorite, especially (and I can't stress this strongly enough) if you get it at the best Prague pub (ha, the first tip on that page is from me!).

[PaulSC]

I LOVE dark beer, but I feel like I ought to try a dozen or more of the ones mentioned so far in this thread, before I venture to name my own favorites. Besides, I often enjoy a beer but then forget about it only to rediscover it later. I guess my head is too full of composers and performers...

Anyway, sticking my neck out a bit:

• St. Peter's Cream Stout
• Anchor Porter
• Deschutes Brewery Black Butte Porter
• Stone Brewery Arrogant Bastard (not really dark)

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Oh, must recommend this - just experienced by me a couple of hours ago, in local restaurant:

Goose Island Bourbon County Stout

This is one serious dark beer!:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-09-11/news/chi-goose-island-312-20120911_1_craft-beer-john-laffler-urban-wheat-ale

[Brian]

I just got to try this at lunch:



It really is brewed with chile peppers, cocoa, and various spices (cinnamon? nutmeg?). A novelty item, maybe, but a pretty damn tasty one! Not spicy at all, more like boldly flavorful but curiously satisfying. Doesn't leave you thirsty for another drink.

Also, my best friend pointed out a really horrible omission on my part, the ever-so-tasty national beer of Brazil, Xingu (zhing-oo). It's actually a black lager, like Asahi Black, so not especially strong or thick.

[mszczuj]

Here:

http://www.europeanbeerguide.net/chyne.htm

[Brahmsian]

This is my favourite 'dark' beer, although it is more of a 'medium', amber coloured beer.

Sleeman's Honey Brown


Also, I love the local Fort Garry Dark Ale.


And of course.......Guiness!!  It's a dark beer, and a meal....it's so filling!