The Great American Beer Festival is finally back! With the insane multitude of beers being served on the festival floor, it can sometimes feel a bit overwhelming. So PorchDrinking is once again here to help you navigate that lineup and help with planning your route at the fest. As part of that research, we’ve sifted through every beer pouring at this year’s fest to curate a series of themed routes to help you plan for your GABF based on various styles and flavors.

Earlier this week we featured the best Non-Alcoholic beers at the fest, and this morning we featured lower ABV Lagers, but now we turn up the octane to Barrel-Aged & high ABV beers. This year’s most prolific barrel-aged producers at the festival include 3 Floyds, Firestone Walker, Fremont, Maplewood, More Brewing, Modern Times, Pure Project, Revolution, River North Brewery, and WeldWerks to name a few.

Now we invite you to explore some of the booziest, barrel-aged beers that we know will be pouring at GABF.

 

2024 GABF Routes: Select a routeLagersHoppy BeersBarrel-Aged / High ABVSpontaneous / Wild / SourFruit-Forward / Cider / NA Beer

 

Barrel-Aged & High ABV Beers to Try at GABF

3 Floyds Brewing – Booth J-1

• Crushing Mass: Barrel-Aged Coffee Stout – 15.1% ABV
• Dark Lord – 15% ABV

Avery Brewing – Booth D-40

• Tweak: Barrel-Aged Imperial Coffee Stout – 15.3% ABV
• Old Fashioned Friends: Reverend Belgian Quad aged in Bulleit 10yr bourbon barrels with Tangerine Peel – 13.2% ABV

Boneyard Brewing – Booth J-9

• Coconut Rum Barrel-Aged Suge: St Croix Rum Barrel-Aged Stout blended with toasted coconut – 11.8% ABV

Breakside Brewery & Taproom – Booth C-20

• Breakside La Maison du Bang!: Barleywine Ale Aged in Nocino Barrels, Apple Brandy Barrels, and Bourbon Barrels – 14% ABV

Burns Family Artisan Ales – Booth J-11

• Belgian Quad – 10.5% ABV
• Buche de Noel: Imperial Stout was aged in Breckenridge Bourbon barrels – 15.5% ABV
• Ship Of Theseus: Barrel-Aged Old Ale – 13% ABV

Confluence Brewing – Heavy Medal

• Old Chungus: Barrel-Aged Scottish Wee Heavy – 11.5% ABV

Copper Kettle Brewing – Booth J-17

• Mexican Chocolate Stout – 7% ABV
• Snowed In – Cherry – Barrel-Aged Oatmeal Stout with Cherry – 13.4% ABV
• Snowed In – Mocha – Barrel-Aged Oatmeal Stout with Cherry – 13.1% ABV

Denver Beer Co – Booth 56

• WhistlePig Barrel-Aged Imperial Graham Cracker Porter – 12.5%

Dogfish Head – Booth I-1

• Affogato World Wide Stout – 15.0% ABV
• Palo Santo Marron: Wood-aged Brown Ale – 12% ABV

Dry Dock Brewing – Booth A-15

• 2023 Pumpkin Bligh’s Barleywine – 13% ABV

Ecliptic Brewing – Booth J-23

• Orange Giant: Barleywine – 13.5% ABV

Excel Brewing – Booth A-16

• Black Breath: Imperial Stout aged in Rum Barrels – 12% ABV
• Bruja: Imperial Pumpkin Ale aged in Añejo Tequila barrels – 12% ABV

Explorer Brewing – J-244

• A Toast to Winter: Barrel-Aged Stout aged on cocoa nibs with toasted coconut, toasted marshmallow, and butter pecan – 8.9% ABV

FiftyFifty Brewing – Booth J-26

• Eclipse Barrel Aged Imperial Stout – 11.0% ABV

Firestone Walker Brewing – Booth H-10

• Rip This Joint: Collaboration with Side Project – Imperial Stout Aged in Henry McKenna bourbon barrels – 13.9% ABV
• Darker Ray: Barrel-Aged Stout with Coconut, Cocoa Nibs, and Vanilla  – 12.0% ABV
• PaRyebola: Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout aged in FEW Rye Barrels – 15.2% ABV

Fort George Brewery – Booth D-30

• ​​Matryoshka 2023: Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout – 13.5% ABV

Fremont Brewing – Booth D-31

• 2024 The Rusty Nail: Oatmeal Stout aged on cinnamon bark then aged in bourbon barrels – 14.5% ABV
• Brew 8000 BA Barleywine – 14% ABV
• 2020 Spice Wars BBADS: Bourbon barrel-aged Dark Star finished with cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, vanilla, and clove – 12.7% ABV
• 2021 Coffee Cocao Vanilla BBADS: Imperial Oatmeal Stout with Coffee, Cacao, and Vanilla Aged in Bourbon Barrels – 13.5% ABV

Great Divide Brewery & Roadhouse – Booth A-23

• Laws Whiskey Barrel Aged Yeti – 12.5% ABV

Lakefront Brewery – Booth F-11

• Black Friday: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout – 14% ABV

Launch Pad Brewery – Booth A-35

• Pecan Pie Soyuz: Imperial Stout – 9.5% ABV

Left Hand Brewing – Booth F-12

• Sinister Stout – Whiskey Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout – 13.9% ABV

The Lost Abbey Brewing – Booth C-65

• Righteous Son – Blended Barrel-aged Old Ale – 12%

Maplewood Brewing – Booth A-39

• Barrel Aged Cuppa – Imperial Stout – 13.0% ABV

Modern Times Beer – Booth A-11

• Mega Devil’s Teeth: Double Dutch S’mores: Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels with vanilla, cocoa nibs, and vegan stroopwaffles – 13.5% ABV
• Decahex Double Coconut: Imperial Stout Aged in 10-year Bourbon Barrels with Coconut – 16.2% ABV

MORE Brewing – Booth A-41

• Mehndi 2023: Double mash Imperial Stout aged for 27 months in a blend of Old Rip Van Winkle, Weller, Elijah Craig and Willett Rye barrels – 15.6% ABV

Mountain Sun Pub & Brewery – Booth B-7

• NIHILIST Russian Imperial Stout – 9.5% ABV

Pinthouse Brewing – Booth C-60

• Jaguar Shark BBA Imperial Stout – 10.5% ABV

PIVO Brewery – Booth A-47

• Old Balltown BBBASCDCBMS: Old Balltown Bulleit Bourbon Barrel Aged Salted Caramel Dark Chocolate Brownie Milk Stout – 6.4% ABV

Pizza Port Brewing – Booth 23

• Bacon and Eggs: Imperial Coffee Porter – 8% ABV

Pure Project – Booth C-62

• Corylus: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout with toasted hazelnuts, organic Peruvian cacao, and organic Brazilian coffee. – 12.6% ABV

Radiant Beer Co. – Booth C-63

• A Touch Of Everything – BBA Vanilla Stout – 13% ABV

Ratio Beerworks – Booth G-18

• Barrel-Aged Barleywine – 11.0% ABV

Reuben’s Brews – Heavy Medal

• Three Ryes Men: Bourbon Barrel-Aged Barleywine – 13.7% ABV

 

Revolution Brewing – Booth J-57

• D.B.V.S.O.D.: Double Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout – 17.9% ABV
• V.S.O.J.: Barrel-Aged Barleywine – 15.0% ABV

River North Brewery – Booth J-58

• Barrel Aged God Complex: Barrel-Aged Quadruple – 19.3% ABV
• Barrel Aged Shadowman: Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout – 16.6% ABV
• Barrel Aged Father Time: Barrel-Aged Barleywine – 16.8% ABV

Rhinegeist Brewery – Booth B-13

• Lemon Chocolate Mushhushshu: Dark ale aged in New Riff bourbon barrels with lemon, lemongrass, vanilla and chocolate – 12.9% ABV

Samuel Adams – Booth F-1

• Samuel Adams Utopias – 28% ABV

Sierra Nevada Brewing – Booth 44

• Barrel-Aged Peanut Butter Cup Narwhal Imperial Stout – 12.7% ABV
• AHS Tiki Torches at Twilight: Rum Barrel-Aged Blonde Barleywine with toasted coconut chips and pineapple purée – 11.8% ABV

Sketchbook Brewing – Booth H-5

• Celestial Figgy Pudding BA Imperial Stout – 13% ABV

Sockeye Brewing – Booth B-16

• Midnight Cuvée Blend II – 11.5% ABV

Stem Ciders – Booth 57

• Pommeau – 5yr Port Barrel Aged – 22% ABV

Sun King Brewery – Booth B-17

• The Velvet Fog: Barrel-Aged Belgian-style Quad with Cherries – 14.2% ABV
• Soul Shakedown Party: Rum Barrel-Aged Scotch Ale – 14.2% ABV

Taproom Beer Company – Booth A-60

• Moments of Silent Banter: Bourbon & Tawny Port Barrel-Aged Barleywine – 13%

The TAP Brewery – Heavy Medal

• Kill the Lights: Imperial Stout – 9.8% ABV
• Delta Quadrant: Belgian Quad – 11.8% ABV

Third Eye Brewing – Booth C-77

• Double Astral: Imperial Stout – 10% ABV
• Dark Aura: Chocolate Peanutbutter Stout – 10% ABV

Toppling Goliath Brewing – Booth C-79

• Assassin: Barrel-aged Stout – 15.2% ABV

Trap Door Brewing – Booth D-73

• INTERIORITY: Barrel-aged Imperial Stout aged on cacao nibs and vanilla beans – 14% ABV

Une Année Brewery – Booth B-19

• El Zacaton: Imperial stout fermented with almond flour, cacao nibs, cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, ancho chilies, guajillo chilies, habanero chilies, and cherrywood – 12% ABV
• Barrel Aged Vanilla Sout – 13.5% ABV

Upslope Brewing – Booth 2568

• Upslope Miombo Imperial Stout: Bourbon barrel-aged stout aged with miombo honey – 17.3% ABV

Verboten Brewing – Booth H-15

• Grow Old With You: Barrel-Aged Barleywine – 13.5% ABV
• Smoke Monster: Barrel-Aged Smoked Barleywine – 15% ABV
• Barrel-Aged Others in Darkness: Irish Coffee Stout – 15.5% ABV

WeldWerks Brewing – Booth H-1

• Coconut PVW23 Medianoche: Coconut Stout aged in Pappy Van Winkle 23 barrels – 13.5% ABV
• 2024 Medianoche: Barrel-Aged Stout – 13.1% ABV
• Asesino de Medianoche: Collaboration Imperial Stout aged in 10-year Templeton Rye Whiskey and 9-year Blanton’s Bourbon conditioned on Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans – 14.1% ABV

Wren House Brewing – Booth C-83

• King Snake: Imperial Stout conditioned on PNG and Madagascar Vanilla beans aged in a single Jack Daniels Rye Whiskey barrel – 11% ABV

ZwanzigZ Brewing – Booth A-71

• Fulcrum Imperial Stout: Russian Imperial Stout – 9% ABV
• Ghost Pepper Imperial Stout – 9% ABV

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