What's a Great Dark Beer?

[Must_B_Free]

I am a lover of Guinness - so you know where I'm coming from. And a long time favorite is Theakston's Old Peculiar. (and I've had Yuengling - a great beer)

I contemplated buying Beck's Dark, but didn't want to be stuck with a 6 pack if I didn't love it enough. I thought I had Beck's Dark that once that was pretty damn good though.

I have a Young's Double Chocolate Stout here that is, frankly, delicious.

What else might I try?

[Ron Green]

1. Dead Guy Ale by Rogue Brewery in Newport, Oregon.

Yum! I've got to go have one right now, just from thinking about it!

:beer:

[DrWeird]

2. Obsidian Stout and Black Butte Porter.

From the Deschutes Brewery here in Oregon. I don't know how far away they market to, but they're very, very good. Dead Guy Ale, see above is also a very good beer, as is the Terminator Stout from McMenamin's. If you like chocolate stouts, the Rogue Brewery, who also do Dead Guy, make a very good one.

[Ron Green]

3. Right you are about Black Butte. I had to speak up for my local brew...

here on the coast.

[DrWeird]

4. Oregon's got the best beer in the world.

I myself have been enjoying Sweet Leaf Amber as of late.

[frylock]

11. sorry man, cali brew is the best..

Stone, Bear Republic, Sierra Nevada, Humboldt Brewing, Lost Coast, Ballast Point, too many to list.

[DrWeird]

17. Best? no, no, no.

Quicker, easier, more seductive.

[frylock]

8. deschutes, negro..

that's all you had to say! I'm a total hop-head (IPA), but if I have a jones for the stout, that's usually what I grab.

[DrWeird]

10. Mmmm, Quail Springs IPA.

The Mirror Pond Pale Ale's not to bad either.

[frylock]

13. quail springs, eh?

I'll check that out next time I go to BevMo.

[DrWeird]

19. That was Deschutes' IPA.

At least last time I checked.

[tmooses]

5. I've been in heaven

Since moving here to Oregon. I love dark beer and do also like Black Butte Porter, but right now I'm downing a MacTarnahan's Blackwatch and have to say it's my favorite (at least for tonight).

[amerikat]

6. Becks Dark is my favorite

when i'm not in a Guinness state of mind......becks dark is great.....and never skunky like some other German beers.

[Tom Kitten]

7. speaking of Oregon beers...

yes I agree! Deschutes, Pyramid, Hood River, Portland Brewing...the McMenamins...about those who know dark beer (I like Pilsner or Amber Ale personally how would Terminator Stout fit in?

[DrWeird]

9. Fit into what? It's a stout.

Nice and thick. Just a slight chocolate overtone.

[frylock]

12. isn't pyramid from washington?

:shrug:

[Tom Kitten]

15. yeah that's right

but they just bought Portland brewing company...as for where Terminator fit in, what I meant is does anybody think it's any good compared to other dark beer, just thought I'd ask...

[LynzM]

14. If you like wheat beers,

You might try a Franziskaner Hefe Dunkel :)

[Must_B_Free]

16. Can anyone define

Draught, Stout and India Pale Ale?

I am afraid of anything called "pale".

[DrWeird]

18. I'm no expert...

but a stout is a dark beer made of roasted malts which give it the dark color and thick malty taste. Guiness is the most well known example. It's the kind of beer you can drink with a fork. Makes good breakfast. Not for everybody.

Pale Ales are a light, dry tasting beer. India Pale Ale, IPA, is a variety that has a usually higher alcohol content and is particularly hoppy.

Draught, if I'm not mistaken, is just a synonym for draft, i.e. beer from a tap.

[Bridget Burke]

20. British brewers shipped lots of beer to soldiers serving in India.

But their regular brews wouldn't stand up to the long voyage. They added extra hops & alcohol as preservatives. So, although IPA's are light in color, they are not "lite" beers at all. They've got a distinctive bite & can be quite excellent.

[Bridget Burke]

21. Saint Arnold's Winter Stout is great.

As a Guinness drinker, I've got pretty high standards for dark brews, but I love this one. However, it's a seasonal product of a Houston microbrewer. Lacking preservatives, they recommend storing & shipping it cold. Probably most microbrews are best drunk locally. Guinness has the tech to ship a quality product worldwide, but I don't doubt that it's better in Dublin; hope to find out someday.

Unibroue makes some excellent beers up in Quebec. Trois Pistoles is a Strong Dark Ale & Maudite is a Strong Red Ale. Both are excellent but risky to buy because of the distance. Love the label art.

[Kellanved]

22. Köstritzer

Or a dark Hefeweizen - Several Bavarians I know claim that the blond hefeweizen is export grade for northerners and Americans, while the dark is the real stuff.

[ze_dscherman]

23. Belgian Trappist Monk Beer

Very, very good - dark, tasty and strong. Try a Chimay if you can get hold of it.
:toast:

[Spider Jerusalem]

24. Rogue Shakespeare Stout is excellent.

I highly recommend it.

Also decent: Samuel Adams Cream Stout and Honey Porter, Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout...and there are probably a few others I'm not remembering.

[auburngrad82]

25. Shakespeare Stout is the best beer I've ever had.

That said, I also like Abita Turbodog.

[Cats Against Frist]

26. Pyramid Brewery's Snow Cap

It's the fine wine of beers. It's a seasonal, though -- but you should be able to get it, pretty soon.

http://www.pyramidbrew.com/beer/beerguide.php?b=snow_cap

[Enraged_Ape]

27. Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout

From the Old Tadcaster Brewery in Yorkshire, to your local liquor or grocery store.

I LOVE this stuff (and I'm a Guinness man too). It was my very first stout ever. It's a little bit sweeter and darker than Guinness with just a kiss of a chocolatey taste.

[LWolf]

28. All my favorites but one are already on the list.

My favorite...homebrew. But since I'm no longer married or aquainted with homebrewers,

Guinness
I love Young's double chocolate stout! And Oatmeal stout.
And Black Butte Porter.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

29. if you can find it...

If you like Guinness then you will probably love Murphy's Irish Stout. A little smoother than your Guinness...very rich flavor!

theProdigal

[Misunderestimator]

30. I HATE Beck's Dark... If you like Guinness, you won't like it.

And I LOVE Guinness.

[Redneck Socialist]

31. Smuttynose Robust Porter

Yummmmmy! :beer:

[EstimatedProphet]

32. O'Hara's Celtic Stout is my fave

even more so than Guinness. Great depth of flavor.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

33. Shiner Bock...

It's a beer out of Texas. Very good.
Duckie

[Richardo]

38. Ding ding ding!!

I've tried and tried, but apparently I'm not manly enough for stout.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

41. For me it has to be like 33 degrees.

If it's hot, it's gross.
Duckie

[crispini]

52. Yeah! Shiner Bock! woot!

When I'm travelling outside of Texas I don't know what to drink. Seriously.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

53. They have that in Oklahoma too.

[Quahog]

34. Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout

by North Coast Brewing in CA. 9% ABV, but the alcohol is pretty well hidden by the deep chocolate and burnt caramel flavors (that is, until it knocks you on your butt). This one will definitely warm the cockles of your heart.

Another favorite of mine is Trois Pistoles by Unibroue in Quebec. Another 9% brew, this is more of a Belgian abbey ale style, not bitter at all, malty, almost fruity (black cherry in the finish), superbly smooth with just a hint of carbonation. The aroma alone is worth the price of admission.

If you want to drink dark beer without getting whacked by high alcohol content or intense flavors and aromas, you could go with Negra Modelo by Cerveceria Modelo in Mexico. It is the ONLY hot-weather dark beer I know of.

Don't waste your time on Beck's dark, I think they just poured some caramel coloring in their regular mass-produced swill. Who put that skunk in the bottle?!?!?

ON EDIT: One you can find ANYWHERE is Sam Adams Cream Stout. I think this is the best brew put out by Sam Adams, with the exception of Old Fezziwig Seasonal Ale, which is only available as part of a winter sampler twelve-pack. Super smooth, ridiculously thick head that lasts to the bottom of the glass, sweeter and richer than Guiness but not high in ABV.

Couple other great "darkish" beers that aren't stouts or porters are Long Trail Double Bag (Altbier) and Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale (English brown ale).

Dang, I wish I wasn't at work, I'm getting thirsty!!

[tigereye]

54. Old Fezziwig is very good

I agree with you.. Becks is what you drink until you find out about all the other stuff, and then you say, "Why did I drink that?"


Now I desperately want to drive to the funky small microbrew place near here. Blast you people. ;)

[regularguy]

35. Salvator by Paulaner is incredible.

[Samurai_Writer]

36. St. Andrew's Brown Beer

Best dark beer, brewed right in Houston by a local brewery. I have to have some every time I go back for a visit.

[Surf Cowboy]

37. Samuel Smith's Imperial or Oatmeal Stout

[JVS]

39. Ayinger altbairisch dunkel

Look for this label

[blindpig]

40. spaten optimator- not for the meek

if you can find it try Stone Brewery's Imperial Stout, I like it better than Sam Smith's(no small thing!)

[TXlib]

48. Optimator is really smooth

malty-sweet, not too heavy on the hops.

I'm a hop-head, so I like stuff like Dogfish Head 90-minute IPA.

[blindpig]

51. hop- head

are you familiar with Stone Brewery? Those folks are seriously into hops. Besides the IPA variations they have Arrogant Bastard and Double Bastard. Wonderful stuff.
Those people at Dogfish Head are geniuses. Never tasted anything from them that wasn't world class.
Now I'm getting cranky cause I can't buy any of the above mentioned in this retarded state and must wait for an Expedition or Sneaky Business.

[tigereye]

55. Dogfish!

have you had that really strange mead based on the ancient recipe? That is pretty wild. Can't remember what it is called.

[blindpig]

56. can't remember either

but I had a bottle bout 2 years ago & would sure like to get some more! Good stuff and very suitable for ceremonial purposes.

[mac56]

42. Summit Great Northern Porter.

add: Dixie Blackened Voodoo.
add: Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter.

[Donkeyboy75]

43. Murphy's Stout and Xingu (Brazilian)

:9

[mopinko]

44. bell's has several stouts

expedition stout is a great one that is usually available. they have some others that are available only in small batches. they have a good java stout. i'm a little more partial to porters myself. not as sweet, more refreshing. bell's porter is very good. there are not that many available widely.

[short bus president]

45. Negra Modelo for a "dark beer"

but definitely Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout for a stout.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

46. San Miguel dark is one of the best I've ever had

[mark414]

47. East Side Dark

trouble is, you can only get it here in Milwaukee

it's made special by our very own Lakefront Brewery, which has some of the best beers I've ever tasted

it doesn't have the bitterness that most dark beers have...it's actually kind of sweet

and very, very delicious

[mac56]

50. Do they still make Sprecher's Amber there?

All the Sprecher's brews were great.

[mark414]

57. in milwaukee

yes they do

and yes, they are all still delicious

[NoBorders]

49. Anchor Porter is good