Every beer nerd knows there’s a shortlist of Stouts that you can’t pass up. They’re the holiest of grails in the craft beer kingdom — brews that are hard to come by and are among the highest-rated anywhere.

The beer nerds that use Tavour have very discerning tastes, and they know immediately when one of these beers stares them in the face. In fact, our members often snatch them all up with lightning speed, so we have to keep bringing them back! 

If you’re ever eager to try some of these top-rated Stouts, check out the app — you’re practically guaranteed to see these 8 fan favorite, Dark Beer diamonds at least once every year:

8. Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout — pFriem Family Brewers [4.18 Tavour member avg. rating]

pFriem’s brews are always something special. In 2020, The Beer Connoisseur wrote a piece on the brewery’s expert contribution to craft beer, summarizing it neatly by saying, “pFriem can be called the best brewery in the world.”This treat may be the best brewery’s best Stout — The Beer Connoisseur named it the #4 Wood-Aged Beer in the World! It’s been a Tavour favorite ever since our very first batch in 2017, and we don’t anticipate getting tired of it in the years to come, either.

7. Dia De Los Muertos — Adroit Theory Brewing [4.18 Tavour member avg. rating]

Dia De Los Muertos is truly a feast of a Stout, from one of the country’s most prominent proponents of Dark Beers: Adroit Theory Brewing.

This crew dominates the big, boozy, black beer depths down in the Mid-Atlantic region, and they call THIS Stout the “biggest, most robust beer we’ve ever brewed!” It’s easily one of Adroit’s most enduring favorites, and for the last three years, we’ve taken every measure necessary to ensure Tavour members continue to soak up Dia De Los Muertos’ roasty richness.

6. Whiskey Barrel Aged Mr. Sandman — River North Brewery [4.27 Tavour member avg. rating]

When we got our first drop of Whiskey Barrel Aged Mr. Sandman from River North back in 2018, it sold out in less than 10 hours. Not surprising, considering it’s the bourbon bolstered brother to Paste Magazine’s #1 Imperial Stout from 2017!

This BA version has all the roastiness and chewy, dark fruit caramelization that impressed Paste’s judges in the original Mr. Sandman, with added layers of oaky vanilla and bourbon sweetness. For the Dark Beer devotees on Tavour, the annual return of Whiskey Barrel Aged Mr. Sandman never seems to come fast enough.

5. Eclipse Stouts (all variants) — FiftyFifty Brewing [4.29 Tavour member avg. rating]

For 13 years, FiftyFifty Brewing’s Eclipse Barrel-Aged Stout Series has been at the top of Dark Beer and barrel aged fans’ Most Wanted List. These annual brews have legendary status on the scene — Esquire Magazine called them one of the “Top 10 Beers You’ll Never Taste” because competition among collectors is so bitingly fierce!

On Tavour, we’ve been lucky enough to get our hands on dozens of the Eclipse variants and releases over the years, from Rye Cuvée and Woodford Reserve Double Oak, to Salted Caramel and Maple Vanilla, and pretty much everything in between. 

4. Rêve Coffee Stout — Parish Brewing [4.31 Tavour member avg. rating]

Reve is one of the highest rated Coffee Stouts anywhere. On BeerAdvocate, it’s among the Top 20 Highest Rated Milk Stouts. On Untappd, it’s one of the Top Rated Coffee Stouts. And, on Craft Beer & Brewing, it’s simply one of the Best Stouts they ever Blind-Tasted and Ranked!

Since we got our first stash of this dreamy, dark roast brew in 2019, we fell head over heels for Parish and their industry-leading innovation. Seeing a bottle of Rêve outside the south is damn near unheard of, so we keep a sharp eye out for it every chance we get.

3. The Rusty Nail — Fremont Brewing [4.49 Tavour member avg. rating]

The Rusty Nail is a tried and true Fremont Stout. It’s been such a mainstay for Tavour that we even manage to wrangle some cases from the brewery’s cellar a few times each year! 

As the #2 English Oatmeal Stout in the World on BeerAdvocate with a perfect 100/100 score, Dark Beer aficionados know it’s not one to miss. It’s a privilege to taste the Barrel-Aged expertise that has rocketed Fremont to national acclaim as one of the Best Breweries of the 2010s, and Tavour continues to be the place where craft fans can cash in on that privilege.

2. Abraxas — Perennial Artisan Ales [4.56 Tavour member avg. rating]

Perennial’s Abraxas is a beer with a monolithic reputation. Before the Pastry Stout was even a thing, beer geeks considered it the Dessert Beer G.O.A.T. (Greatest Of All Time)!

It’s thicker, richer — and, many would agree — more indulgent than practically any brew that came before it, and our members seem to be well aware of that. When Perennial releases a new vintage each winter, we make sure to snag some for Tavour. Sometimes, we’re even lucky enough to get the more limited drops, like the Vanilla and Coffee variants!

1. BBA Dark Star — Fremont Brewing [4.63 Tavour member avg. rating]

It should come as no surprise that Fremont’s Stout skills got them onto this list twice. Since our early days in 2015, their coveted Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star has been a yearly presence on Tavour, because it’s one that our members just can’t get enough of!

Of all the returning Stout holy grails, our members rate it the highest on average. The outside praise surrounding this desirable Dark Beer is just as massive. BBADS is 4th highest rated Oatmeal Stout in the world on BeerAdvocate, AND Paste Magazine named it the #1 Best Stout in a 2017 blind tasting of 144 BBA Stouts from around the country. It was the best then, and according to our members who keep demanding more, it’s still among the best today.

To keep your craft beer cellar up to date with the latest and greatest Stouts like these, be sure to check out the Tavour app!