Highest-rated stouts in Michigan

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November 2, 2022
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Highest-rated stouts in Michigan

They're dark, creamy, and may have the consistency of used motor oil—and stout lovers wouldn't have their beer any other way.

Stouts are technically ales, a group of flavorful beers made with yeast fermented at a higher temperature. These brews are dark brown or black in color due to a key ingredient: charred, unmalted barley. This also imparts a roasted flavor to the beer, resulting in notes of bitter coffee or sweet chocolate.

Other ingredients can add different flavors and mouthfeel to the stout. Oatmeal leads to a caramel color and a more malty flavor. Milk stouts contain lactose for sweetness and body, while American Imperial stouts are richer in taste thanks to additional malts and hops. Pastry stouts brewed with cake, candy, or even peanut butter are a dessert drink for some.

Stout flavor profiles also vary by region. English stouts have a dry finish and get their characteristic bitterness from roasted barley. Irish dry stouts, the best known of which is Guinness, have a creamy taste and a distinctive foamy head produced by nitrogen gas taps. American stouts contain American hops and dark malt for a more bitter flavor.

While stouts can be highly drinkable—Irish dry stouts can be as low as 4.2% ABV—the beer style also allows brewers to push the envelope in terms of alcohol content. The strongest of the group, Imperial stouts, can be upwards of 12% ABV; for example, the 2024 iteration of Goose Island Brewing Company's famed Bourbon County Stout clocked in at 14.7%.

Although lager is the most popular type of beer in the United States, roughly 1 in 5 beer drinkers enjoys stouts regularly. That gives America's almost 9,800 craft brewers plenty of reason to develop new riffs on the style. With this variety in mind, Stacker compiled a list of the best stouts from Michigan using data from BeerAdvocate and sorted according to their weighted ranking. Beers without images were excluded. Only stouts that made BeerAdvocate's top 100 list by state were included.

#30. Night Fury - Bourbon Barrel-Aged Chocolate Covered Espresso

- Rating: 4.31 (72 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.8%
- Brewery: Witch's Hat Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#29. Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Mayan Mocha

- Rating: 4.24 (541 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.0%
- Brewery: Odd Side Ales
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#28. Dragon's Milk Reserve - Triple Mash

- Rating: 4.25 (405 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 18.0%
- Brewery: New Holland Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#27. Delusion

- Rating: 4.26 (364 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.7%
- Brewery: Greenbush Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#26. Dragon's Milk Reserve - Coconut Rum Barrel

- Rating: 4.27 (246 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: New Holland Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#25. American Imperial Stout

- Rating: 4.30 (125 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 9.5%
- Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#24. Night Fury - Bourbon Barrel-Aged Vanilla Bean Reserve

- Rating: 4.30 (146 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.5%
- Brewery: Witch's Hat Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#23. Expedition Stout

- Rating: 4.26 (6,636 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 10.5%
- Brewery: Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#22. Cinna-Gram on French Toast

- Rating: 4.45 (46 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: Pigeon Hill Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#21. Bourbon Barrel American Imperial Stout

- Rating: 4.37 (101 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 12.9%
- Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#20. Plead The 5th Imperial Stout

- Rating: 4.30 (4,119 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: Dark Horse Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#19. Night Fury - Bourbon Barrel-Aged Traxxx

- Rating: 4.34 (211 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.8%
- Brewery: Witch's Hat Brewing Co.
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#18. Buckley Reserve #2

- Rating: 4.50 (46 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 15.0%
- Brewery: Transient Artisan Ales
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#17. Buckley

- Rating: 4.35 (301 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 14.0%
- Brewery: Transient Artisan Ales
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#16. Bring the Ruckley

- Rating: 4.49 (59 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 14.5%
- Brewery: Transient Artisan Ales
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#15. Hazel's Nuts

- Rating: 4.36 (565 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: Odd Side Ales
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#14. Black Note - Vanilla

- Rating: 4.42 (127 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.5%
- Brewery: Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#13. Hipster Brunch Stout

- Rating: 4.36 (891 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: Odd Side Ales
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#12. KBS - Espresso

- Rating: 4.41 (785 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 12.0%
- Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#11. Kentuckley

- Rating: 4.48 (257 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 14.5%
- Brewery: Transient Artisan Ales
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#10. Solstice Stout

- Rating: 4.50 (176 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 16.0%
- Brewery: Kuhnhenn Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#9. Rye Hipster Brunch Stout

- Rating: 4.46 (498 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: Odd Side Ales
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#8. Expedition Stout - Bourbon Barrel-Aged

- Rating: 4.47 (810 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 13.4%
- Brewery: Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#7. KBS - Maple Mackinac Fudge

- Rating: 4.49 (949 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#6. Canuckley

- Rating: 4.54 (226 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 14.5%
- Brewery: Transient Artisan Ales
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#5. Breakfast Stout

- Rating: 4.51 (17,987 ratings)
- Type: Oatmeal Stout
- ABV: 8.3%
- Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#4. Plead The 5th - Bourbon Barrel-Aged

- Rating: 4.52 (3,377 ratings)
- Type: Russian Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.0%
- Brewery: Dark Horse Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#3. Black Note Stout

- Rating: 4.54 (4,988 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.2%
- Brewery: Bell's Brewery - Eccentric Café & General Store
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#2. KBS

- Rating: 4.60 (14,212 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 12.0%
- Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
- Read more on BeerAdvocate

#1. CBS (Canadian Breakfast Stout)

- Rating: 4.64 (6,809 ratings)
- Type: American Imperial Stout
- ABV: 11.7%
- Brewery: Founders Brewing Company
- 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 48 states.

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