There’s no reason we shouldn’t enjoy dark beer throughout the year (just look at the Caribbean, where they’re known for drinking Guinness Foreign Export Stout – a richer, more alcoholic version of the original). Yet when the nights set in, we want sweeter, we want stronger, and more than anything, we want darker. Here are our top five dark beers to enjoy now…

Words by Alice Galletly

Panhead Blacktop Oat Stout

Described by the brewery as a “silky death metal monster”, Blacktop is a pitch black, medium-bodied stout brewed with caramelised golden naked oats. Aromas and flavours of espresso, toffee and milk chocolate lead to a smooth body and lightly bitter, roasty finish. 

Emerson’s London Porter

For almost 25 years this has been viewed as one of New Zealand’s best dark beers, and for good reason. Toasty and dry with mellow hop aromas, a smooth, creamy body and a firm bitter finish, it’s exactly the beer you’d want to warm up with on a chilly Dunedin afternoon. 

Tuatara Amarillo American Dark Ale

Performing just as well in the height of summer as it does in
front of the fire, this hoppy dark ale combines the coffee and chocolate notes of a porter with the citrusy hop aromas of an American pale ale.  

Monteith’s Black Beer

A New Zealand classic, this approachable black lager offers bang for your buck. Crisp and smooth with a fairly light body, it offers notes of chocolate, coffee and roast on the nose with a just a little mellow sweetness. 

Galbraith’s Rurik Russian Imperial Stout

Rich, velvety smooth and with hints of espresso, liquorice and dark chocolate, this decadent 7.5% offering from Galbraith’s is a stout fit for a Tsar. Judges clearly agree, as it recently won a gold medal at the 2017 International Beer Awards