Skip to main content
DEAL WATCH: Keurig K-Express | 22% off $69.99

Keurig has changed the face of coffee, and snagging one of these for less than $70 is a solid deal. Read Review

BUY NOW
Refrigerators

All Beer Lovers Should Try These 5 Winter Brews

Warm up the holidays with these world–class beers.

Credit:

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

Fall is finally over, which means the annual inundation of pumpkin beers has (thankfully) come to an end. For many, winter is the best time to cozy up to a glass–not a bottle–of beer. (Seriously, pour your beer.)

Winter seasonals are characterized by their rich, sweet flavors and particularly high alcohol content. These are the months where it's not uncommon to see an entire shelf full of beers that have been aged in whiskey barrels, or a cooler stocked with "spiced" ales.

Related content

  • puppies in sweaters

    feature

    10 Ugly Christmas Sweaters You Can Wear Right Now
  • A close-up of the Midea MRF29D6AST French-door refrigerator sitting outside our fridge testing labs.

    review

    Midea MRF29D6AST French-door Refrigerator Review

Although there are countless spectacular local beers in small corners of every market, these are the best ones that can be found in pretty much every part of the country. Cheers!

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Stout

From: Chicago, Illinois Variety: Bourbon barrel–aged imperial stout ABV: 12%–16%, depending on the vintage Availability: Black Friday–Late Winter

The mother of all winter beers, Goose Island's Bourbon County Brand Stout (BCBS) has been wooing casual and hardcore beer fans alike since the early 90s. Every year, people line up for the release of BCBS and its myriad accompanying variants, which vary in style from year-to-year.

{{amazon name="Luigi Bormioli Michelangelo Masterpiece 13-1/4-ounce Napoleon Brandy, Set of 4", asin="B000Q4QHSE", align="right"}} BCBS is a big, bold imperial stout that's been aged in bourbon barrels for anywhere from 8 to 12 months. The result is a viscous, jet-black brew that more closely resembles motor oil than beer. You'll notice notes of chocolate, vanilla, oak, and bourbon, as well as the unusually low carbonation.

In fact, this beer is so bourbon-heavy that fresher batches feature a telltale whiskey burn on the finish. As the bottle ages and the alcohol heat dissipates, this "kiss" of bourbon all but vanishes, leaving you with a delicious Disneyland of melded dessert-like flavors.

Speaking of aging, BCBS is a prime candidate for proper cellaring. If you've got a relatively cool, dark basement, a bottle of Bourbon County will develop for up to—and sometimes beyond—five years. With every passing year, the beer evolves. Comparing a one-year-old bottle of BCBS to a fresh one is a night-and-day experience.

Founders Breakfast Stout

From: Grand Rapids, Michigan Variety: Oatmeal stout ABV: 8.3% Availability: October–December

If you have a hard time tracking down Founders' famed KBS, don't worry–you're not alone. Fortunately, you could do a lot worse than Founders Breakfast Stout.

Brewed with oats, chocolate, and coffee, the aptly-named stout tastes like a cross between a dark chocolate milkshake and a Kona iced coffee. Yes, it's bitter, but the flavor is multidimensional. The toasty malts compliment the coffee notes perfectly, and the sweetness of the chocolate cuts through the bitterness in such a way that the experience isn't overwhelming.

Founders Breakfast Stout is a modern classic, and a perfect beer for an icy December evening (or morning).

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale

From: Chico, California Variety: IPA ABV: 6.8% Availability: Fall–Early Winter

Although the winter months are traditionally dominated by stouts, porters, and barleywines, beer geeks still thirst for hop-forward ales when they need a break from heavier, sweeter beers.

Sierra Nevada’s Celebration Ale has been a holiday tradition since 1981 (according to Sierra Nevada’s Bill Manley, the current recipe has stayed the same since 1983). A beautiful, ruby-red, fresh-hop IPA, Celebration Ale features Centennial, Chinook, and Cascade hops.

{{amazon name="Authentic British Style Imperial Pint Nonic Glass with etched seal - 2 pack", asin="B009M5PCK2", align="right"}} Despite its subtle, spicy twang, Sierra Nevada insists that the formula contains only hops, water, yeast, and malt. The spice is courtesy of the Chinook hops, which are known for their piquant flavor profile. Expect a big, piney aroma, a bouquet of floral and spice notes on the tongue, and a bracingly bitter finish.

Celebration Ale is a legit wintertime classic. For my money, the holidays just aren’t the same without a few six packs of this delicious IPA in my fridge.

Founders Backwoods Bastard

From: Grand Rapids, Michigan Variety: Bourbon barrel–aged Scotch ale ABV: 10.2% Availability: November

Yes, we've arrived yet again at Founders Brewing Company. With so many excellent beers rolling out of their headquarters, it was probably inevitable.

Backwoods Bastard is the brewery's barrel-aged take on its own year-round Scotch ale, Dirty Bastard. Sweet, peaty, and low in carbonation, Backwoods Bastard is aged in oak bourbon barrels, which imparts a strong whiskey flavor into the beer. Scotch ales are sweet to begin with, but the barrel-aging process takes this one to another level entirely.

Backwoods Bastard has a creamy, vanilla-like quality to it, which makes it ideal for slow-sipping sessions. In fact, at a robust 10.2%, it's probably best for everyone that you take it slow.

Lagunitas Sucks

From: Petaluma, CA Variety: IPA ABV: 7.85% Availability: November–January in 6 packs; year-round in 32oz quarts (select markets)

If it's cheating to include Lagunitas Sucks on this list, consider me a cheater. This IPA used to be a yuletide exclusive, but due to its immense popularity, it's now being distributed year-round in 32oz bottles. Nevertheless, it's too good not to mention.

This beer is candy.

It's an IPA designed as an apology to fans after Lagunitas found it didn't have the capacity to make its Brown Shugga' holiday ale a few years back. The taste is a mind-bending potpourri of tropical fruits, pine, and a faint trace of earthiness. There's a lingering bitterness, but it's in no way abrasive. Frankly, it's hard to stop once you've had a sip.

As is the case with every hop-forward beer, freshness is key, so hunt for the most recent bottle date you can find.

{{brightcove '3952655564001'}}

Up next