What makes a dark beer dark? It all comes down to the malts. Though all beer relies on malts (cereal grains that have been allowed to germinate, then dried to halt the germination process), dark beers are unique in their use of black and dark malts. These grains are heavily roasted to achieve the characteristic color as well as the caramelized, toasty flavors we love. The blanket term “dark beer” encompasses everything from classic styles like schwarzbier (a dark German lager) to the return of black IPAs. The most familiar dark beers, however, are generally billed as either porters or stouts. As it turns out, the line between those two styles is rather blurry indeed, and many argue that there is no practical difference at all. Historically, stouts evolved from porters, with English brewers aiming to create a “stouter” version of their country’s beloved porter beers. Though the two styles often overlap, today’s stouts still tend to be a bit bolder and stronger than easy-drinking porters. Within those two broad categories is a range of styles to suit any palate. Peaks & Pints continues our Dark Days of Thanksgiving salute to dark beers with eight on tap and dark flights through Black Friday. Get ready for another flight of dark beers in what we call Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Dark Side of California.
Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Dark Side of California
Pure Project Milagro
5.3% ABV
Pure Project brews Milagro with organic, shade-grown coffee sourced from Costa Rica hand-roasted by Manuel Antonio at Café Milagro in San Diego. They pair it with fresh organic Tahitian vanilla beans for a creamy, roasty flavor profile with hints of dark chocolate.
Firestone Walker Parabolita
9.2% ABV
A delicious re-imagining of Firestone Walker Brewing’s iconic Parabola barrel-aged imperial stout, they aged a selection of Parabola for one year in premium bourbon barrels, then blended it with a complement of Velvet Merlin milk stout to create a silky mouthfeel and a more approachable alcohol by volume. Finally, they infused the beer with whole Madagascar vanilla beans, cocoa nibs and sea salt to achieve a full salted caramel-style drinking experience.
AleSmith Speedway Stout: Maple Bar Edition
12% ABV
For the second year in row, Peaks & Pints was a pit stop for AleSmith Brewing’s Speedway Grand Prix on the road. The longtime San Diego brewery takes their San Diego Beer Week signature Speedway Grand Prix event on the road, popping up in cities nationwide, including Tacoma. Brewed for the 2024 AleSmith Speedway Grand Prix, their signature coffee imperial stout is brewed with maple syrup, coffee and natural flavors.
Modern Times Island Tones 2024
12.9% ABV
Modern Times’ blended their Mega Devil’s Teeth and Modem Tones imperial pastry stouts — both aged for four years in Rhum Agricole — and grabbed their 3-year-aged bourbon barrel-aged Island Tones and aged it for four years in oak, and blended it in, and then added a blend of toasted coconut flakes, macaroon-cut coconut flakes, and raw coconut, and finally added Okinawan black sugar (sugar made from cane grown on Volcanic soil).
Fieldwork Death Will Tremble
14% ABV
Death would tremble when presented with this massive wave of night-night juice. Brewed exclusively with British malts, Scottish yeast, and a pinch of carefully selected Oregon hops, Fieldwork Brewing‘s dry, boozy Russian imperial stout offers dark toasted malt, chocolate, coffee, raisins, and booze on the nose. The dark toasted malt, raisin, and chocolate notes transfer to the flavor with added light char, and a little hop bitterness.
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