Dessert beers are ones that you linger over long after the dishes have been cleared. We like them to have lots of rich and complex flavors that we can pair with a piece of cake or have as dessert all by itself. Sometimes we want a sweet beer, but more often, we just want something well-crafted and fantastic.
If you can't find these exact beers, look for other beers in the same style. Brandywines, Belgian tripels, barrel-aged beers, and anything labeled as "double" or "imperial" are all excellent candidates for dessert beers.
1. La Fin du Monde from Unibroue Brewing (Belgian-Style Tripel) - Spicy and fruity golden beer with a smooth, creamy mouthfeel.
2. Imperial White from Sam Adams (Imperial Witbier) - Super intense, like a concentrated Belgian witbier. Flavors of ripe stone fruit, candy, and warm spices with a syrupy slickness.
3. Bigfoot Barleywine from Sierra Nevada (American Barleywine) - Citrusy and highly hopped, but with layers of chewy caramel and stewed fruit to balance.
4. Curieux from Allagash Brewing Company (Barrel-Aged Ale) - Tripel-style ale aged in Jim Beam barrels. The result is a fruity, smooth beer with hints of vanilla and, yes, bourbon!
5. Jah-Va from Southern Tier Brewing Company (Imperial Stout) - Brewed with actual coffee, this beer is like a shot of espresso over ice. (Also, try their Mokah!)
What beers do you like to sip after a meal?
Related: Beer Float! With Hoppin' Frog Oatmeal Imperial Stout
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Mmmmm.... La Fin du Monde.... that is one of my favorites right now. It is just yummy.
Lindeman's Framboise paired with chocolate flourless cake is absolutely delightful!!
excited about trying these! a few of my favs:
Lindemans Framboise
Left Hand Black Jack Porter (brewed with dark chocolate)
Westmalle Dubbel
Trappistes Rochefort 8
Tripel Karmeleit
Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout
Mostly Belgians, but all great dessert beers. Have not had the La Fin du Monde, but will have to try it soon. Yummm!!!
nice choice, asavage.. the Pomme and Peche are also quite good.. been looking for others, espceially the Cassis, but haven't been able to find any of their other flavors locally yet.
New Glarus Belgian red or Raspberry tart! Too bad you can only buy them in Wisconsin... :(
Blue Point Bueberry Ale, its not a superlight beer like some of the fruitier types, but it is delicious and wonderful combination of hops and blueberries, perfect for or with dessert!
I cannot say enough good things about the Curieux, except that there are too few places that sell it, so I would rather everyone not go out and buy the bottles I was planning on consuming (though it is popping up with more reliability in the Whole Foods beer section).
Tastes like bananas, and vanillia and caramel, and about 13% alcohol to boot.
Brooklyn Brewery's Chocolate beer is another great dessert beer that I love.
For dessert beer, or sitting on the patio there is absolutely nothing better than an Oberon from Bell's Brewery in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It is the lightest summer ale with just a hint of hops and when paired with an orange slice makes the most mundane afternoon magical.
Add a couple of Avery beers to that list: Samael's and The Beast. Both are high in alcohol, but are rich, sweet and complex. Serve in a small portion like Sherry.
I always have La Fin du Monde on hand at home. One of my favorite session beers. I have a purchased a bottle of Allagash Curieux that I haven't tried yet, but I should probably open it up for a go. The Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout mentioned above is also delicious due to the strong coffee/dark chocolate flavors.
The beer I consider one of the best for sipping after a meal has to be St. Bernadus Abt 12, Belgian style quadrupel with a extremely complex flavor profile that changes as it warms. Different people with whom I've discussed this beer have different impressions on what it tastes like (I think it starts out with an anise tone with banana like aromas at ~45°F then as it warms, it starts hinting with feint dark fruit/berry notes), but all agree it is one of the best beers they've ever had. Definitely go slow with the stuff as it is nearly 11% abv.
For those who live in Michigan, Short's Soft Parade is AMAZING. Fruity without that chapstick taste. The rye really makes it.
Speaking of the Brooklyn Chocolate Stout: did you know it makes a killer float? Beer ice cream, who knew...
My all time FAVORITE beer is South Hampton Abbot 12. The raisins, figs, and caramel give it a sweet aftertaste but not too sweet. It is bold and rich, not very hoppy, and absolutely perfect for an after dinner dessert beer! Good luck trying to find it though, as it is made in small batches and I have not found many people to carry it since it is $20 for a 750 ml bottle.
http://www.southamptonpublickhouse.com/the-beers/750-series/
Yes, all good.
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From Goose Island: Matilda
1 for the New Glarus (but I am glad it's WI exclusive!) that stuff is almost like a candy treat!
Also Young's Double Chocolate Stout.
2 for New Glarus. The raspberry or Belgian cherry make a KILLER ice cream float
Deschutes Brewery's the Abyss makes a great dessert beer. It's an aged imperial stout that's nice and chocolaty.
This is one great way to enjoy beer. Cheers.
Goose Island Fleur - actually - all the Belgian style Goose Islands.