11 Craft American Beers to Try

February 9, 2022

Last Updated date: May 10, 2022

American Beers — Photo Credit: https://www.usatoday.com/

Beers have been around for a long time, and we are always looking for new beers to try. However, for craft American beer lovers, we are constantly looking for more than a tipsy feeling.

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We look for beers that have unique and complex combinations of aromas and flavors that we not only look forward to trying again but beers we will remember for a long time.

While these craft beers are not usually among the big American beer brands, there are numerous choices to choose from. As of last summer, the Brewers association stated that there were around 7,480 active American craft breweries.

Since craft breweries love trying new recipes, there are more and more beers in the market every year. However, among the numerous beers, we combined a list of some of the best ones you should try.

Craft American Beers From California Breweries

Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger

Brewed in the Russian River Brewing Co. in California, these craft beers are worth a try. Pliny the Younger is a triple IPA that the brewers make using the usual hops’ rotation thrice. It has a smoothing sweetness and floral aroma with an ABV of around 10.25%.

Pliny the Elder, on the other hand, is a double IPA that has an 8% ABV. It has a grassy hop aroma and a citrus and malt taste, giving it its uniqueness.

Sierra Nevada Bigfoot

Brewed in the Sierra Nevada brewery in California, this is an intense, fruity, bittersweet, and malty craft beer with a 9.6% ABV. The main reason we considered it a craft beer you should try is its wine-like flavor intensity, which makes us think of it as an English-style barley wine.

One of the main downsides is that this beer is available mainly during the winter seasons.

Parabola

Brewed in the Firestone Walker Brewing Co., this is a high-octane imperial stout with a 14% ABV. It has a combination of tobacco, dark chocolate, bourbon-barrel oak, and malt flavors, giving it its unique taste and smell.

Fundamental Observation

Brewed in the Bottle Logic Brewing, this is a heady imperial stout that has a 14.3% ABV. The brewers blend it with Madagascar vanilla beans and age it in bourbon barrels. That combination makes this beer dark and rich, with fairly subtle flavors of whiskey and oak.

Craft Beers To Try From Iowa Breweries

Kentucky Brunch Stout

Brewed in the Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. in Iowa, this is one of the top craft beers in America. It recently came out first on a list of America’s top 250 beers on the Beer advocate listing.

This craft beer is dark, thick, sweet, smooth, complex, and memorable. This beer has an outstanding flavor that combines the tastes of coffee, chocolate, maple syrup, figs, bourbon, vanilla, and toffee. It also has a 15% ABV, which means it only takes a few bottles to give off a tipsy effect.

Morning’ Delight

This beer is brewed in Toppling Goliath Brewing Co., the same brewery as the Kentucky Brunch Stout. However, the two beers are different, with this one having a 12.8% ABV.

This imperial stout has a rich, sweet, and well-balanced taste, which is a result of the brewers brewing it with maple syrup and coffee. This not only gives it the taste but a unique aroma combination, which is why we added it to the list.

SR-71

This intense and complex imperial stout is brewed at the Toppling Goliath Brewing Co. With a 14% ABV, the methods used to brew and blend it gives it a raisiny and syrupy taste, with notes of marshmallow and chocolate.

It also has a unique aroma combination, which is why we consider it among the top crafts beers to try, especially during the cold days.

Indiana And Florida Breweries

BBADL

Bourbon-Barrel-Aged Dark Lord Imperial Stout, brewed in 3 Floyds Brewing Co. in Indiana, is another sweet and strong craft beer with a 15% ABV we thought was worth a try. The beer is thick and almost chewy, with a smell that is part molasses and part vintage port.

Every year, the brewery sells a variety of vintage Dark Lords ranging from 2007 to 2019 for a whole day.

Zombie Dust

Formerly marketed as a cenotaph, this craft American beer is brewed at the 3 Floyds Brewing Co. in Indiana. It is a pale ale that is flavored using Yakima Valley Citra hops. It has a yeasty and fruity taste, with a resinous aroma and a 6.4% ABV.

Hunahpu’s Imperial Stout

This double barrel-aged beer is brewed in the Florida Cigar City Brewing. The black, thick, and strong stout has an 11% ABV. The brewers age it in apple brandy and rum barrels with pasilla and ancho chiles, cacao nibs, Madagascar vanilla beans, and cinnamon.

This combination makes the beer have a unique aroma and flavor profile, which makes it a perfect tipsy dessert.

Morning Wood

This assertive porter with a 12% ABV is brewed in the Florida Funky Buddha Brewery. Brewers use bourbon barrels to age it and flavor it using bacon, coffee, and maple syrup.

Because of the ingredients and brewing method, it has a unique smell and flavor profile, which is what makes it one of the best craft beers in America.

The main reasons why we think these craft beers are worth trying are their unique tastes and aromas that we do not get from other beers.

When enjoying these craft beers, we recommend that you buy a collection of unique decanters and glasses to go with the unique tastes and aromas of the beer.