Dark, Rich, and Reliable: 5 Exceptional Stouts

American Craft Beer|June 11th, 2026|

Two hands holding pints of dark Guinness stout beer with thick white foam heads.

(Courtesy Guinness)

Stouts are one of our favorite beer styles. Some seem to think they’re strictly a winter beer, but we disagree. And here are five uber-interesting variations that you need to chase down.

An Irish Classic (Dublin, IR) – Let’s start with and international classic. We’re big fans of Guiness, so much so that during a recent craft beer junket in Ireland, we would end every night in the local pub with a Guinness in hand. Some say it tastes best in Ireland (we get that), but it’s pretty tasty anywhere, as far as we’re concerned.

Brewed at St James Gate in Dublin, Ireland and available worldwide Guinness Draught is a rich and creamy nitro-fueled 4.2% ABV Irish Dry Stout which was developed in 1959, to mark Arthur Guinness signing his 9,000-year lease and 200 years of groundbreaking brews

Eye-Opening (Grand Rapids, MI) – N discussion of serious drinking would be complete without the inclusion of this classic year-round from Founders Brewing with a legacy that dates back to 2002.

A bottle of Founders Breakfast Stout beer sits among scattered coffee beans, a glass coffee brewer, and a mug.

(Courtesy Founders Brewing)

Brewed with an abundance of flaked oats, specialty chocolates, and two types of coffee (Sumatra and Kona), Founders Breakfast Stout is an 8.3% ABV Double Chocolate Oatmeal Stout with an intense fresh-roasted java nose and a frothy, cinnamon-colored head that will make your morning.

Blackhearted (Baltimore, MD) – Heavy Seas has returned a massive limited release that takes decadent drinking to the next level. Part of the brewery’s Uncharted Waters Series, Heavy Seas Blackbeard’s Breakfast is a 10% ABV Barrel-Aged Stout/Porter with the deep, roasted coffee character. Crafted with Dark Sumatra coffee from Baltimore’s Chesapeake Coffee Roasters, this is always a highly anticipated small batch release.

The end result is a complex beer with layers of chocolate, coffee, and a touch of caramel, completed by a smooth, warming finish.

Pace Yourself (San Diego, CA) – AleSmith Brewing has a new addition to its year-round portfolio that we can’t wait to get our hands on. inspired by the brewery’s legendary Speedway Stout. but in a lighter, more sessionable format AleSmith Pace Car is a smooth and uber-creamy 6% ABV Nitro Coffee Stout with rich and seductive coffee and chocolate tones, complemented by notes of roasted barley and subtle toffee character.

Alesmith Pace Car coffee stout being poured from can into glass.

(Courtesy AleSmith Brewing)

“Pace Car is inspired by our approach to the quality coffee and craftsmanship in Speedway Stout, but built to be more approachable at 6%,” Ryan Crisp, Vice President of Operations, AleSmith Brewing said. “We have received many requests for a lower ABV stout you can enjoy multiple pints of, and we’re excited to bring it to life in 2026. With Pace Car, you get light roast, chocolate and subtle toffee notes, with fresh coffee and a smooth, creamy nitro pour on draft and in cans.”

Packaged in 16oz 4-pack cans and draft, AleSmith Pace Car Nitro is now available at the brewery’s taproom as well as online and at many retail outlets in California, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Minnesota, Texas, Illinois, Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Virginia and Washington DC

Yeti Sighting (Denver, CO) – Summertime sometimes calls for something bolder, and Great Divide Brewing offers a classic which has spawned a multitude of memorable variations over the years.

A many times Great American Beer Festival winner in the Imperial Stout category, Great Divide Yeti is an iconic 9.5% ABV Imperial Stout which opens with a massive, roasty malt flavor with rich caramel and toffee notes, that eventually give way to a surprisingly dry, piney, and slightly citrusy hop finish due to a large quantity of American hops.