GREENVILLE, N.C. (Stacker.com) — The stout is known for being especially full-bodied, dark, strong, lightly sweet, and sometimes creamy. It often features flavor notes of roasted coffee, chocolate, and malt. However, the versatility of a stout lends itself to more experimentation than one might assume.
Yes, there are the more well-known Irish and English stouts, American stouts (and double stouts), Russian imperial stouts, but there are also oatmeal stouts, milk stouts, oyster stouts, blonde stouts, barrel-aged pastry stouts, and more—and they all have varying flavor profiles, colors, and alcohol strengths.
Stacker compiled a list of the best stouts from North Carolina using data from BeerAdvocate. A maximum of 5 stouts per brewery were included. Accompanying each stout is its brewery, its rating on BeerAdvocate, the stout type, and its ABV. Are you interested in expanding your horizons past the most mainstream of the stouts? Check out the best stouts brewed in your very own state.
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1 / 21BeerAdvocate
#21. Sexual Chocolate
– Rating: 4.13 (1,443 ratings)
– Type: Russian Imperial Stout
– ABV: 9.75%
– Brewery: Foothills Brewing Company – Downtown Brewpub
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
2 / 21BeerAdvocate
#20. Blair’s Breakfast Stout
– Rating: 4.24 (32 ratings)
– Type: American Imperial Stout
– ABV: 7.00%
– Brewery: Wilmington Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
3 / 21BeerAdvocate
#19. Houtenhamer Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
– Rating: 4.32 (18 ratings)
– Type: American Imperial Stout
– ABV: 10.20%
– Brewery: Burial Beer Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
4 / 21BeerAdvocate
#18. Chocolatized
– Rating: 4.21 (77 ratings)
– Type: Russian Imperial Stout
– ABV: 10.90%
– Brewery: Pisgah Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
5 / 21BeerAdvocate
#17. Photon Sphere
– Rating: 4.26 (35 ratings)
– Type: American Imperial Stout
– ABV: 11.91%
– Brewery: Olde Hickory Brewery
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
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6 / 21BeerAdvocate
#16. Milk & Cookies – Bourbon Barrel-Aged
– Rating: 4.22 (107 ratings)
– Type: Sweet / Milk Stout
– ABV: 11.30%
– Brewery: Wicked Weed Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
7 / 21BeerAdvocate
#15. French Toast – Bourbon Barrel-Aged
– Rating: 4.22 (211 ratings)
– Type: American Imperial Stout
– ABV: 11.40%
– Brewery: Wicked Weed Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
8 / 21BeerAdvocate
#14. Black Watch
– Rating: 4.24 (104 ratings)
– Type: Sweet / Milk Stout
– ABV: 8.00%
– Brewery: Highland Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
9 / 21BeerAdvocate
#13. Skillet Donut Stout
– Rating: 4.22 (500 ratings)
– Type: Oatmeal Stout
– ABV: 8.00%
– Brewery: Burial Beer Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
10 / 21BeerAdvocate
#12. Querido Y Perdido
– Rating: 4.26 (73 ratings)
– Type: American Imperial Stout
– ABV: 11.00%
– Brewery: Casita Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
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11 / 21BeerAdvocate
#11. Griddle
– Rating: 4.24 (134 ratings)
– Type: American Imperial Stout
– ABV: 10.00%
– Brewery: Burial Beer Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
12 / 21BeerAdvocate
#10. The Miller’s Toll
– Rating: 4.28 (71 ratings)
– Type: American Imperial Stout
– ABV: 9.10%
– Brewery: Raleigh Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
13 / 21BeerAdvocate
#9. Seasoned Skillet
– Rating: 4.32 (40 ratings)
– Type: American Imperial Stout
– ABV: 14.00%
– Brewery: Burial Beer Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
14 / 21BeerAdvocate
#8. Sexual Chocolate – Barrel-Aged – Coffee Infused
– Rating: 4.33 (36 ratings)
– Type: Russian Imperial Stout
– ABV: 9.60%
– Brewery: Foothills Brewing Company – Downtown Brewpub
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
15 / 21BeerAdvocate
#7. Collaboration Without Representation
– Rating: 4.32 (88 ratings)
– Type: American Imperial Stout
– ABV: 12.80%
– Brewery: Deep River Brewing Co.
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
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16 / 21BeerAdvocate
#6. Lindley Park
– Rating: 4.28 (1,083 ratings)
– Type: American Imperial Stout
– ABV: 10.00%
– Brewery: Olde Hickory Brewery
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
17 / 21BeerAdvocate
#5. Olde Rabbit’s Foot
– Rating: 4.3 (490 ratings)
– Type: American Imperial Stout
– ABV: 10.13%
– Brewery: Foothills Brewing Company – Downtown Brewpub
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
18 / 21BeerAdvocate
#4. Dark Age
– Rating: 4.3 (571 ratings)
– Type: Russian Imperial Stout
– ABV: 13.90%
– Brewery: Wicked Weed Brewing
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
19 / 21BeerAdvocate
#3. Drunken Vigils Breakfast Stout
– Rating: 4.39 (51 ratings)
– Type: American Imperial Stout
– ABV: 13.80%
– Brewery: Southern Pines Brewing Company
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
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#2. Sexual Chocolate – Barrel-Aged
– Rating: 4.36 (1,284 ratings)
– Type: Russian Imperial Stout
– ABV: 9.60%
– Brewery: Foothills Brewing Company – Downtown Brewpub
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
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21 / 21BeerAdvocate
#1. The Event Horizon
– Rating: 4.36 (1,844 ratings)
– Type: American Imperial Stout
– ABV: 12.25%
– Brewery: Olde Hickory Brewery
– Read more on BeerAdvocate
