
Highest-rated beer in Kentucky
Highest-rated beer in Kentucky
After more than a decade of massive growth, the beer industry is experiencing a slowdown. According to the Brewers Association, in 2024, nationwide closings of brewpubs and taprooms outpaced openings for the first time in 14 years, and overall beer production volume decreased by 1.2%.
Changing consumer preferences factor into this decline. The convenience of ready-to-drink cocktails has increased spirits sales, but many people are simply opting to drink less. A January 2025 survey from NCSolutions found that almost half of Americans plan to cut back on their drinking in 2025.
To achieve this goal, some people are shifting to non-alcoholic drinks, including NA beers. This has created demand for higher-quality NA beers, including non-alcoholic IPAs and stouts. Other consumers are opting for moderation, looking for session beers and light beers that are still full of flavor.
That said, hop-forward beers are still popular—for example, hazy IPAs were the most popular entrant in the 2025 World Beer Cup. Fruit beers are also having a moment, with cherry and raspberry leading the pack in a 2024 report from Research and Markets, while drinkers looking for sweeter options can find brewers experimenting with candy-infused beers. Many beer makers are revisiting regional flavors on traditional styles, such as Czech pilsners, Mexican lagers, and Vienna lagers. At the same time, craft brewers continue to push the envelope to find new ways to excite beer lovers, often using unusual ingredients like sage, peppercorn, watermelon, and garlic.
Among all these different options, certain beers still appeal to hopheads more than others. Stacker compiled a list of the best beers from Kentucky using data from BeerAdvocate and sorted them according to their weighted ranking. Beers without images were excluded. Only beers that made BeerAdvocate's top 100 list by state were included.
#30. Papaw's Red
- Type: Imperial Red Ale
- ABV: 9.0%
- Brewery: Country Boy Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#29. McPoyle
- Type: Sweet / Milk Stout
- ABV: 6.5%
- Brewery: Mile Wide Beer Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#28. Dynasty
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.5%
- Brewery: Country Boy Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#27. Dark Charge - Bourbon Barrel-Aged
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.0%
- Brewery: Braxton Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#26. Ya Damn S_ippy
- Type: American Porter
- ABV: 5.0%
- Brewery: Blue Stallion Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#25. 35K
- Type: Sweet / Milk Stout
- ABV: 7.0%
- Brewery: Against The Grain Brewery & Smokehouse
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#24. You, me, & Mr. PB
- Type: Sweet / Milk Stout
- ABV: 5.6%
- Brewery: Mirror Twin Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#23. Power Chord
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 6.8%
- Brewery: Gravely Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#22. Low Beam
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 6.5%
- Brewery: West Sixth Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#21. Dark Charge - Bourbon Barrel-Aged - Starter Coffee
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 10.0%
- Brewery: Braxton Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#20. Kentucky Coffee Barrel Cream Ale
- Type: Cream Ale
- ABV: 5.5%
- Brewery: Alltech's Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#19. Tropic Flare
- Type: New England IPA
- ABV: 6.8%
- Brewery: Braxton Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#18. Nothing Special
- Type: Rye Beer
- ABV: 12.0%
- Brewery: Against The Grain Brewery & Smokehouse
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#17. Corruption
- Type: English Stout
- ABV: 10.5%
- Brewery: Wooden Cask Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#16. Kentucky Maple Barrel Stout
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 12.0%
- Brewery: Alltech's Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#15. Tropical Gose
- Type: Gose
- ABV: 4.5%
- Brewery: Ethereal Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#14. Dark Charge - Bourbon Barrel-Aged - Vanilla
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.0%
- Brewery: Braxton Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#13. Pennyrile Pale Ale
- Type: American Pale Ale
- ABV: 6.0%
- Brewery: West Sixth Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#12. Nate's Coffee Stout
- Type: American Stout
- ABV: 8.0%
- Brewery: Country Boy Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#11. Rico Sauvin
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 8.2%
- Brewery: Against The Grain Brewery & Smokehouse
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#10. Knotty Pine
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 9.0%
- Brewery: Country Boy Brewing
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#9. Heller Heaven Double IPA
- Type: Imperial IPA
- ABV: 9.5%
- Brewery: West Sixth Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#8. Debaser
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 7.0%
- Brewery: Gravely Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#7. Snake Eyes Imperial Stout
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: West Sixth Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#6. Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Imperial Milk Stout
- Type: Sweet / Milk Stout
- ABV: 12.0%
- Brewery: Alltech's Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#5. NOMAH! (Scavenger Series - Northeast IPA)
- Type: American IPA
- ABV: 6.5%
- Brewery: Mile Wide Beer Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#4. Uncle Disheveled
- Type: American Stout
- ABV: 5.5%
- Brewery: Mile Wide Beer Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#3. London Balling
- Type: English Barleywine
- ABV: 12.5%
- Brewery: Against The Grain Brewery & Smokehouse
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#2. Snakes In A Barrel
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.0%
- Brewery: West Sixth Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
#1. Bo & Luke
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.0%
- Brewery: Against The Grain Brewery & Smokehouse
- Read more on BeerAdvocate
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.