If beer enthusiasts have a hankering for a richer, darker style this season, Dan Murphy’s has them covered. Guinness is making a strong comeback, and this has already delved into this exciting trend, sharing experiences of perfectly poured pints of black gold. For those who resonate with this passion, the resurgence of Guinness appears to be just the beginning of a beautiful love affair with dark beers, especially with the cooler months approaching.
The presents six of Dan Murphy’s favourite dark beers, excluding Guinness, featuring options from crisp and toasty dark lagers to the richest stouts.
1. Tooheys Old Dark Ale
Beer is subject to the whims of fashion as much as clothes, music and hairstyles. Much like low-rise jeans, pop punk and mullets that are all coming back (for some trendsetters, all at the same time), old-school beers are cool again – and none more than Tooheys Old, a lighter style of dark ale that’s been around since way back in 1869.
We’re proud Tooheys Old fans here and it shouldn’t be hard to see why. It’s got history, sure, but it’s really all about the flavour, which has everything a dark beer should – hints of chocolate and coffee, a tiny touch of fruitiness and a little roastiness. A treat for anyone looking for a dark beer without the heaviness of stouts and porters.
2. Monteith’s Black Beer
Most of the dark beers we drink are ales, but they don’t have to be – lagers can get in on the dark fun, too. With its Black Beer, Monteith’s has gone for what’s called a schwarzbier in the beer game, which is essentially a German-style dark lager (it literally translates as ‘black beer’). Here, five roasty, toasty malts (those are malted grains, BTW) lend a healthy whack of dark beer flavour but, being a lager, Monteith’s Black is still light and crisp. If you’re after a delicate dose of smooth chocolate and coffee flavours, this is your guy.
3. Coopers Best Extra Stout
In a world of small-batch craft brews, Coopers seems to defy logic with flavoursome ales – and none more so than the Best Extra Stout. This is, frankly, one of the best value, best tasting stouts on the market (listen to us gush!) and a worthy constant in any winter dark-beer rotation.
Extra stouts are just normal stouts that have been beefed up a little, and that’s what you’ll find here – a rich, velvety dark beer that is packed with roasty chocolate flavours and rounded out by a decent bitterness. If you like the richer style of Guinness Extra Stout (as opposed to the super smooth Draught) then make the old switcheroo for this fella – you won’t regret it.
4. Boatrocker Stout
Melbourne craft brewery Boatrocker has been doing its thing since 2009, and it’s fair to say that, in that time, they’ve been responsible for some of the best beers Australia has seen. While plenty have been limited editions or adventurous styles, the humble Boatrocker Stout has made a case for simple quality.
Here, rich and toasty English malts do the big lifting, making for a silky smooth stout that is hearty enough without being overly-heavy. Plus, as a rare example of the stout tinnie, this Boatrocker brew is ticking every possible box for us (including for the mythical winter barbecue). A proper winner when the temperature drops outside.
5. Monsuta Okinawa Dark Premium Lager
If we’re talking beer, Japan is definitely a land of lagers. The lager love affair doesn’t exclude Japan from dark beers, though, with dark lagers like this one from Monsuta hitting all those crisp and light lager notes in perfect harmony with toasty dark beer flavours. With its Dark Premium Lager, the Okinawa brewery brings just a little richness, a dash of nuttiness and those slightly bitter, extra-crunchy hops that let you know you’re still in lager town. If you’re trying to hit the sweet spot between easy-going and flavour bomb, this is a bulls-eye.
6. White Rabbit Dark Ale
Aussie beer drinkers have long found their way to the dark side via White Rabbit Dark Ale and it’s easy to see why. This isn’t some palate-wrecking malt-explosion – instead, despite the black-brown colour, this is a gentle dark beer with a little fruitiness and a subtle whack of chocolate covered caramel, all rounded out by a gentle sweetness. Light and chocolatey as it is, this is a winner with a cheeky piece of milk chocolate on the side.
Reference: https://www.danmurphys.com.au/dans-daily/hit-list/dark-ales-and-lagers-to-try