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Blackout

Great Lakes Brewing Company
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🌍 United States · Imperial Stout · One of 127 Imperial Stouts in hopIQ

An imperial stout that began as a pub beer in the mid-1990s and has been bottled under its current name since 2003, now released as a limited seasonal in four-packs and on draft. Two-row, a medium crystal malt, black malt and roasted barley meet Simcoe, Nugget and Apollo hops. It pours pitch black under a thin tan head. Dark chocolate, coffee and dark fruit lead, with burnt sugar and roasted grain behind them, while the earthy hops add a firm, roasty bitterness that runs into a dry finish.

ABV
9.9%
Bitterness
Strongly bitter50 IBU
Roasted bitterness
SRM
dark40
See all Imperial Stout alternatives →

AWARDS

Gold Medal · 2006
World Beer Cup
Imperial Stout
Bronze Medal · 2008
World Beer Cup
British-Style Imperial Stout
★Gold Medal — World Beer Cup (Imperial Stout)
★Bronze Medal — World Beer Cup (British-Style Imperial Stout)
How it drinks· Its pace, balance and relationship to the style.
Pace
sessionsipper
Balance
malt-ledhop-led
Style expression
textbookdistinctive
Where this beer sits· Four axes, the same for every beer in hopIQ.
Body
Full body.
lightfull-bodied
Sweetness
Gently sweet notes.
drysweet
Bitterness
Moderate bitterness.
mildbitter
Texture
Somewhat creamy mouthfeel.
crispcreamy

Full-bodied and gently sweet.

Weight and sugar move together, the pour rolling slow while richness compounds on the palate.

Character· What makes this beer itself — not just another Imperial Stout.
Hop character
earthy
Malt character
chocolate
coffee
roasted
Distinctive notes
dark fruit

Tasting Notes

AI-generated sensory profile for Blackout

◎ Appearance

Pours pitch black with minimal light transmission, presenting the opaque density characteristic of the imperial stout style. A thin tan head forms at the pour and settles quickly, leaving sparse lacing on the glass wall. Carbonation appears moderate, appropriate for the beer's weight and roasted grain structure.

pitch blackthin tan headopaque

◌ Aroma

The nose leads with dark chocolate and espresso coffee, grounded by roasted barley and a secondary note of dark stone fruit. Burnt sugar emerges in the mid-range, adding caramel-like sweetness beneath the roast. Earthy hop notes punctuate the aroma without overwhelming the malt-forward profile.

dark chocolatecoffee, roasted grainburnt sugar, earthy hops

◐ Taste

Entry is full-bodied and warming, with dark chocolate and roasted grain tones establishing the palate immediately. Mid-palate develops burnt sugar complexity and a subtle dark fruit character, while a firm, roasty bitterness from Simcoe, Nugget and Apollo hops builds steadily. The finish is dry and assertive, with lingering roast and hop bitterness.

dark chocolate, roasted grainburnt sugarfirm roasted bitterness

◑ Finish

A dry, extended finish driven by roasted malt tannins and herbal hop bitterness. The aftertaste persists with coffee and char notes, leaving the palate clean yet warm.

dry, persistentroasted tannins
82
hopIQ score
Aroma
84
Taste
84
Appearance
78
Finish
80
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Serve & Enjoy

How to get the most out of Blackout

Serve at 13–16°C
Refrigerate, then rest 2 min

Slightly warmer than you might expect. 10–13°C lets the roasted malt, chocolate and coffee notes open up fully.

Pint glass
Recommended for this style

The classic — versatile, comfortable to hold and keeps the beer cool. No frills, no distractions: just the beer.

Can be cellared 2–5 years. Develops dark fruit, leather and port-like complexity with age.

Food Pairing

What to eat with Blackout

About Imperial Stout

Style guide · what to expect · how to find alternatives

What is a Imperial Stout?

Stouts are dark ales with roasted barley character, 4–8% ABV and IBU 25–45. Expect coffee, dark chocolate and toast flavors with a creamy body and dry finish.

Finding a similar Imperial Stout

hopIQ matches by flavor profile — not just style label. A beer with the same roasted, chocolate, coffee character as Blackout will score highly even if brewed in a different country or under a different sub-style name.

Other Imperial Stouts in hopIQ

Compare with another beer →Explore all Imperial Stout beers in hopIQ →Browse United States beers →