Beers That Taste Dark & Roasty Like Coffee (Flavour Profile – 3 of 7)
Dark and Roasty Beers: The perfect beers for anyone who loves coffee-crisp, purposely burnt marshmallows, and other bold, rich flavours.
By The Beer Community on Apr. 22, 2019
If you like your coffee black you’ll probably love the taste of a dark and roasty beer!
Dark and roaster beers are the perfect beer to drink when you’re cuddled up in front of a grand fireplace, sitting on a log at an outdoor bonfire, or even just lounging on the couch watching the fireplace channel on Christmas Eve. Dark and roasted brews will have you feeling cozy and warm all night long, no matter the season.
If you’re thinking, “What type of beer should I drink?”…
Try a dark beer!
What are Dark & Roasty Beers?
These beers have bold flavour profiles that always have an emphasis on dark, roasted malts. This is what gives you coffee and chocolate notes, a rich mouthfeel and an intensely dark colour. Dark and roasty beers can be medium-light to full bodied, low to high abv‘s, and often produce a deep copper-red to an opaque black colour.
If you love a slight hint of coffee, chocolate, or toasted / semi-burnt flavours you’ll probably love dark and roasty brews.
What are the most popular beers that taste dark and roasty?
Ireland’s Guinness is one of the best known dark beers. If you’re new to dark and roasty beers and actually have never tried a Guinness, get out of your comfort zone and try one! Many people are actually surprised to find that dark beers, like stouts and porters, aren’t always as heavy or strong as they thought.
If you like Guinness, you like a dark and toasty beer!
Guinness is rich and creamy with a velvety finish. It has sweet aromas of coffee and malt flavours. Guinness is known to have the perfect balance of bitter and sweet with malt and roast characters. Guinness is smooth, creamy and comes in at 4.2% ABV.
“This iconic beer is defined by harmony. Sip after sip, sweet counters bitter as the malt arrives on cue to complement a base of roasted barley. Just as the unmistakable white head sits flush atop the dark beer, so do the flavours counter and combine perfectly. This is our greatest innovation. Truly unique. Perfectly balanced.”
What beer styles have “roasty & dark” flavours?
When people think “dark and roasty beers”, they probably think stouts and porters. Stouts and porters are considered dark and roasty, but there are other beer styles that fall under this beer profile.
Soft, Silky & Malty beers:
These dark beers tend to have a slight bitterness and are rich in malt. These beer styles do not always show off their roasted qualities but have strong chocolate, nutty, and creamy coffee flavours. Some fruit flavours such as dates and figs can be present also.
Types of beers that fall into this roasty and dark category include: English Brown Ale, Foreign Export Stout, Oatmeal Stout, Porter, Schwarzbier, and Sweet Stout.
Coffee, Dark & Dry beers:
These are roastiest and driest beer styles of dark beers. Burnt flavours, dark chocolate and espresso can all be found in the aroma of these beer styles. In stronger beers, fruit flavours such as plum, cherry, and raspberry can emerge. These beer styles are often light on the palate, which brings the strong, dry notes forward.
Types of beers that fall into this dark and roasty beer category include: American Brown Ale, American Stout, Black Ale, Imperial Stout, and Irish Dry Stout.
Food Pairings for Roasted, Dark Beers:
Dark beers pair really well with meat. Think grilled or blackened pork, poultry and game. Roasted, dark beers go nicely with seafood and raw shellfish. Next time you’re heading to a barbecue, bring your darkest brews to pair with dinner and a nice chocolate-based dessert.
Dark Beers You Need to Try If You Like…
Ready to take a step outside your comfort zone? Try a dark and roasty craft beer that you might like based on flavours you already know and love.
If a mocha is your warm drink of choice, try Young’s Double Chocolate Stout.
Is coffee crisp your favourite candy bar? Try Arrowhead Brewing’s Midnight Special Coffee Porter!
If you think you don’t like dark beers, try Left Hand Brewing’s Nitro Milk Stout.
More Dark Beers to Try:
If you’re struggling with all of the dark and roasty beer options, let us help you out. Below is a sampling of the finest dark beers around Canada.
- 1880 Export Stout – Moody Ales (Port Moody, BC)
- Black Forest Dark Lager – Cameron’s Brewing Company (Oakville, ON)
- Calumet Double Porter – Simply Malt Brasseurs (Saint-Eustache, QC)
- Ichorous Imperial Stout – Blindman Brewing (Lacombe, AB)
- Lazy Mutt Alberta Brown Ale – Minhas Micro Brewery (Calgary, AB)
- Midnight Stout – Whitewater Brewing Company (Ottawa, ON)
Find the right beer for you!
JustBeer has grouped all the styles of beers into seven main beer profile categories to help you find beers based on flavours you already know and love.