Top 10 Stouts and Imperials

my favorites new Stouts and Imperial Stouts from 2008. lots of great ones, and lots of barrel aged ones out there this year, which I've kept in here and may show up in the barrel aged categories. all time favorites include North Coast's Old Rasputin, Mirror Pond's Obsidian, Samuel Smith's Oatmeat Stout, Murphy's Irish Stout and Guiness.

Deschutes Abyss
Wow. I didn't know you could make a beer this intense and delicious. A jet black imperial stout with one third of it barrel aged in french oak and bourbon barrel oak. Chocolate, roast, coffee, licorice, molasses, this is a velvety warm beer to be sipped and cherished. There is no overt bourbon barrel presence, you find more of the trace elements (vanilla, tobacco, toffee, smoke) from it in the highlights. At 11% ABV, its is amazing how good this beer is young.

Green Flash Double Stout
Really well rounded Imperial Stout. Luscious chocolate flavor dominates, along with oat, caramel and toffee notes. There is a slight warming in the beer, but the finish isn't too bitter, and rather sweet, for this strong of a stout.

Firestone Walker Velvet Mirkin
This is an Oatmeal Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels. Deep licorice, dried fruit, smoke and chocolate flavors. This whole beer has a slight vinuous quality, but is well rounded and smooth around the edges.

Young's Oatmeal Stout
This is a thick, chewy oatmeal stout. A very roasty ale, with slight caramel, chocolate and toffee highlights. Very well rounded, lowly carbonated and hopped lightly, the oats really thicken this beer and add a hint of flavor to the palate.

Stone 12th Anniversary
A very warm ale, with incredibly powerful coffee, roast and chocolate notes. Burnt character, incredibly bitter, with slight toffee, oatmeal, vanilla, molasses and bark-earth. This is a much dryer and bitter beer than their usual imperial stout, and has a greater hop presence and bitterness in the finish.

Stone Russian Imperial Stout
A huge, thick, robust stout. Intense burnt, dark fruits, cacao, vanilla, toffee, chocolate and toffee. The flavors don't have anywhere to hide, this is a really warm ale that hits you in the face with flavor and doesn't let up.

Moylan's Irish Dry Stout
A very well balanced dry stout. Very roasty up front, chewy, coffee highlights with a slightly hoppy and bitter finish. Notes of chocolate, molasses, toast and coffee throughout, a delicious, sessionable stout. Great for a winter day at the local pub.

Magnolia Oyster Stout
There is a really rich flavor profile to this beer. It is well balanced between all the components, yet has a smokiness the permeates and cuts through the roasty flavors. It begins with chocolate, toffee and a slight yeastiness, and ends somewhat dry, smoky and slightly bitter. This goes really well with food, flavorful meats, and I would assume, oysters.

Lucky Labrador Black Lab Stout
A thick, roasty, robust and quite drinkable ale. Very flavorful, chocolate, dried fruits, caramel and a light nutty quality. It could be a bit thicker and less sweet, but it is still quite creamy due to the nitro tap.

Schells Stout
This is a British Style Sweet stout. A very rich ale, it has sweet chocolate, medium toffee and caramel and light espresso notes. A creamy, roasty and lightly bitter finish gives this stout a nice edge.