America’s 40 Most Delicious Beers

This high-octane (14% ABV) imperial stout offers flavors of dark chocolate, tobacco, malt, and bourbon-barrel oak; from a Central Coast wine country brewery now owned by the major Belgian brewery Duvel Moortgat.

A rich, malty, and earthy imperial stout brewed with what Founders calls “a massive amount of coffee and chocolates;” according to one Beer Advocate reviewer, “The look is epic — black like Texas crude.”

Very dark in color, with plenty of malt in the nose; rich and chewy, with a flavor that evokes chocolate, raisins, dates, and caramel.

A classic double IPA (one given extra heft by additional hops and malt), reminiscent of the same brewery’s Sip of Sunshine (No. 25), but maltier, as might be expected, with a subtle but agreeable fruity character.

A Golden State interpretation of the classic Belgian style called gueuze (hence the punning name). Gueuze is a type of lambic — beer fermented with wild yeasts and bacteria — made by blending. young and older barrel-aged beers. This one is lively and redolent of stone fruits, with some tartness and sweetness.

The coffee-dosed elaboration of Goose Island’s regular Bourbon County Stout (No. 31), malty and dark, with hints of bourbon and an aromatic infusion of high-quality coffee beans (the sources vary year to year).

A heady imperial stout (14.3% ABV), blended with Madagascar vanilla beans and aged in bourbon barrels; rich and dark, but with fairly subtle oak and whiskey flavors.

At 14% ABV, an intense, complex imperial stout, syrupy and raisiny, with notes of chocolate and marshmallow.

A dry, fresh, clean double IPA, fruity and spicy, with a resiny flavor and lightly bitter finish.

Malty and slightly bitter, an imperial double IPA with an earthy, grassy hop character in the nose and plenty of malt and citrus on the palate.