The most common types of dark beers to be found are:
Black IPA – an IPA that includes the use of dark malts which give the beer an unusually dark colour. They are quite unique in the dark beer category as they have both rich dark notes and brighter, hoppy ones too.
Dark Lager – created from roasted barley and hops, the blend tends to add a richness to the final beer along with plenty of flavours.
Dark Ale – a rather brown and brackish looking English beer, dark ales blend yeast with malt and hops to produce a flavourful fruity beer. The strong characteristics of this dark beer have made it very popular throughout the centuries.
Stout – Having been popular in Europe since at least the 16th century, Stout is one of the most prevalent dark beer options around. Despite its popularity as a dark beer, it’s actually not usually the darkest type of dark beer around and got the name stout from having been the strongest beer. Stout is known for several sub-categories such as milk stout (a sweeter option due to the lactose added), oat stout (a creamy, less sweet stout) and Irish stout (a slightly more bitter variety of stout of which Guinness is the most well-known). Imperial Stout is another top stout option and was brewed originally by British brewers for Russia’s Catherine the Great; they’re known for bitter, vanilla tones.
Porter – Having originated in the dock areas of the 18th century, Porter is a dark beer that has a lighter colour and far less bitter taste when compared to stout. It usually comes with undertones of caramel, chocolate, and toffee.
Dunkel – with a distinctly sweet taste and inky blackness, this dark beer is a very popular and easy-drinking choice that combines top ingredients.
Schwarzbier – a sought-after dark beer, with a mid-range alcohol volume of 4 – 5%, Schwarzbier is known for the roasted ingredients which impart huge flavour payoffs like chocolate and coffee.