20 Best Black IPAs to Drink in 2026
Black IPA is the bar argument that became a beer style: citrus, pine and modern hop bitterness wearing a porter-colored disguise. The best versions use dark malt for color and controlled roast, not enough burnt grain to bury the hops.
This is a focused Top 20 because the category is smaller and more seasonal than its early-2010s peak. Current returns rank beside the beers that defined Cascadian Dark Ale, with every retired landmark identified honestly in its BAR NOTES.
The 20 Best Black IPAs to Drink in 2026
Wookey Jack
Brewed by Firestone Walker Brewing Company
grapefruit, pine, dark chocolate, coffee and spicy rye.
BAR NOTES
Wookey Jack remains the clearest argument for Black IPA because neither half feels decorative. Citra and Amarillo bring bright citrus and resin while dark malt and rye supply roast, dryness and a rustic seam.
The award-winning beer returned again as a limited seasonal release, so buy fresh rather than chasing old cans. Serve around 46–48°F with smoked brisket, mole or aged cheddar.
Sublimely Self-Righteous
Brewed by Stone Brewing
grapefruit, pine, coffee, cocoa and aggressive bitterness.
BAR NOTES
Originally Stone’s eleventh-anniversary ale, Sublimely Self-Righteous became one of the style’s defining commercial releases. Chinook, Simcoe and Amarillo crash into dark chocolate and coffee with characteristic Stone-era volume.
Recent nationwide rereleases make this more than nostalgia, but package-date checking still matters. Pour around 47–50°F with charred steak, blue cheese or rich chocolate-chile dishes.
Society & Solitude #2
Brewed by Hill Farmstead Brewery
pine, citrus, dark bread and restrained roast.
BAR NOTES
Society & Solitude #2 applies Hill Farmstead’s precision to an imperial black frame. Columbus and Simcoe create firm evergreen hop character while the dark malt stays measured enough to avoid becoming a hoppy stout.
This is a brewery-centered release, not a dependable national shelf beer. Serve an eight-ounce pour near 48°F with smoked pork, Alpine cheese or a rich mushroom dish.
Epitome
Brewed by Carton Brewing Company
char, dark chocolate, citrus, pine and forceful bitterness.
BAR NOTES
Epitome is Carton’s deliberately excessive black ale: more than ten percent alcohol, 100 IBUs and a malt bill dark enough to match the name. Cascade leads a discordant but purposeful hop assault.
Treat the sixteen-ounce can like two servings and let it warm toward 50°F. Pair with smoked ribs, blue cheese or bittersweet chocolate, preferably beside a working fireplace.
Black Mettle
Brewed by Trillium Brewing Company
orange peel, grapefruit, pine, coffee and cocoa.
BAR NOTES
Black Mettle adapts Trillium’s Mettle fermentation schedule for a black double IPA. Juniper, pine and citrus stay vivid over blonde-roast coffee and cocoa, while midnight wheat supplies color without harsh burnt grain.
The beer lives in Trillium’s rotating archive, so follow brewery releases rather than assuming year-round stock. Serve around 47°F with roast duck, burgers or hard cheese.
El Jefe
Brewed by The Alchemist
grapefruit, spruce, cocoa and dry roasted grain.
BAR NOTES
El Jefe shows how the Alchemist’s unfiltered hop language works against dark malt. The cat-covered can delivers assertive citrus and resin, but a clean dry finish keeps roast from swallowing the aroma.
Availability is occasional and Vermont-centered, making brewery-fresh cans the real target. Drink near 45–47°F with a burger, smoked sausage or a sharp farmhouse cheddar plate.
Hop in the Dark
Brewed by Deschutes Brewery
grapefruit, pine, chocolate, coffee and toasted malt.
BAR NOTES
Hop in the Dark was central to the argument that this should be called Cascadian Dark Ale. Deschutes balanced Northwest citrus and resin against roast without letting either side flatten the other.
This is now an archive landmark, so surviving bottles are historical objects rather than freshness purchases. Remember it with smoked salmon, grilled steak or a robust cheddar.
Back in Black
Brewed by 21st Amendment Brewery
pine, citrus, caramel and mellow chocolate.
BAR NOTES
Back in Black helped normalize dark IPA in cans when the format still signaled rebellion. Compared with imperial examples, its moderate strength and softer roast made the style easier to understand and revisit.
Production has varied over time, so confirm current local availability and packaging dates. Serve around 45–47°F with barbecue chicken, burgers or a smoky bean chili.
Dubhe
Brewed by Uinta Brewing Company
pine, coffee, vanilla, chocolate and herbal depth.
BAR NOTES
Dubhe returned through Uinta’s Pro Line with its original cosmic ambition intact. Hemp seed joins a 100-IBU imperial black IPA, adding nutty earthiness beneath coffee, vanilla, dark malt and abundant pine.
Serve a smaller pour around 48–50°F with mole, smoked beef or aged Gouda. Its polished can and dry hop bite can conceal the substantial 9.3-percent strength.
Pitch Black IPA
Brewed by Widmer Brothers Brewing
citrus, pine, caramel and smooth roast.
BAR NOTES
Pitch Black IPA emerged from Widmer’s W’10 series and helped give the young style mainstream credibility. Its smoother roast and moderate strength left room for Northwest hops instead of chasing imperial intensity.
Treat remaining bottles as archive material unless Widmer announces a fresh return. At its intended peak, 46°F service suits grilled sausage, pizza or a sharp cheddar plate.
Hoppy Feet
Brewed by Clown Shoes Beer
grapefruit, chocolate, coffee and dry Northwest hops.
BAR NOTES
Hoppy Feet paired early Clown Shoes irreverence with a surprisingly disciplined beer. Amarillo and Columbus push grapefruit across roasted malt, creating contrast rather than the blunt coffee-and-bitterness collision common in weaker examples.
This original release is mostly an archive classic today, not a safe dusty-bottle purchase. Remember it around 47°F with smoked pork, chili or dark chocolate.
Mountain Standard
Brewed by Odell Brewing Company
grapefruit, pine, coffee and toasted dark malt.
BAR NOTES
Mountain Standard used specialty roasted malts and a large hop charge to make nine-and-a-half percent feel structured. Grapefruit and pine cut through the dark grain, while the body remains warmer and fuller than classic CDA.
The standard beer and later barrel-aged version are archive releases, so do not cellar-hop-shop blindly. Serve a careful pour near 49°F with venison, brisket or blue cheese.
Dark Penance
Brewed by Founders Brewing Co.
pine resin, citrus peel, dark caramel and roast.
BAR NOTES
Dark Penance arrived during Black IPA’s first boom with an ominous name and an aggressively resinous profile. Dark caramel and roast supported nearly nine percent alcohol without turning the beer into ordinary imperial stout.
This is a retired Founders chapter, so any remaining bottle is for a label collection rather than hop aroma. Pair the memory with barbecue, aged cheddar or chili.
Alaskan Double Black IPA
Brewed by Alaskan Brewing Co.
spruce, citrus, dark caramel and roasted cocoa.
BAR NOTES
Alaskan’s Pilot Series Double Black IPA used a large dark malt frame to carry spruce-like hops and warming alcohol. It lands closer to a winter sipper than the leaner Cascadian examples below it.
The bomber is an archive release and old bottles will have lost their intended hop brightness. At peak freshness, serve near 48°F with smoked salmon or venison.
Wild Raven
Brewed by Thornbridge Brewery
grapefruit, lemon, pine, coffee and dark chocolate.
BAR NOTES
Wild Raven translated American Black IPA into Thornbridge’s precise British brewing language and earned major international awards. The current anniversary can combines Centennial, Ella, Nelson Sauvin and Sorachi Ace with five malts.
This is a welcome current return rather than pure archive bait. Serve a fresh can around 46–48°F with barbecue short ribs, mature cheddar or a mushroom-and-thyme pie.
Libertine Black Ale
Brewed by BrewDog
tropical fruit, grapefruit, cocoa and roasted coffee.
BAR NOTES
Libertine Black Ale came from BrewDog’s more confrontational era, layering tropical fruit and grapefruit over coffee, caramel and cocoa. A dry finish helped the crowded flavor set remain recognizably IPA.
Current availability is inconsistent, so treat dated bottles carefully and favor a confirmed fresh reissue. Serve near 47°F with barbecue, stew, sushi or dark chocolate.
Proper Black
Brewed by St Austell Brewery
citrus, resin, coffee and chocolate.
BAR NOTES
Proper Black uses a comparatively modest six-percent frame to combine forceful hopping with chocolate and coffee undertones. Bottle conditioning and British malt character give it a different texture from American imperial examples.
Serve around 46–48°F with Cornish pasty, roast beef or hard cheese. Pour carefully to control the sediment, or include a little yeast when you prefer fuller texture.
Black IPA
Brewed by Maisel & Friends
orange, pine, coffee, cocoa and gentle tropical fruit.
BAR NOTES
Maisel & Friends revived this limited beer with three dark malts and six hop varieties, including Amarillo, Chinook, Mosaic and Idaho 7. The result is cleaner and less imperial than many American ancestors.
Serve around 46°F with spicy macaroni and cheese, hard cheese or grilled sausage. A fresh bottle lets the citrus lift the roast before sweetness starts accumulating.
Black Baal 2.0
Brewed by To Øl
molasses, pine, citrus, coffee and warming dark fruit.
BAR NOTES
Black Baal 2.0 revisits To Øl’s enormous dark IPA idea with updated hops and a slightly reduced—but still massive—strength. Dense roast, molasses and dark fruit meet a hard resinous edge.
This is a dessert-sized pour, not a black pint for mowing the lawn. Serve near 50°F with blue cheese, smoked meat or a bittersweet chocolate tart.
Black Mist
Brewed by Phantom Brewing Co.
citrus, red fruit, cocoa and light roasted grain.
BAR NOTES
Black Mist closes the board with a useful current counterpoint to the imperial old guard. Citra, Nelson Sauvin and Superdelic bring citrus and red-fruit lift to a lean 5.5-percent dark base.
Serve around 45–47°F with grilled chicken, mushroom pizza or smoked cheese. Its lower strength encourages a full pint, but modern hop detail still demands prompt cold drinking.
Stay on the dark side of the hop yard
Put black IPA beside its hoppy and roasty neighbors, learn the style, then bring that dark-side experiment into your own brewhouse.
DRINK DEEPER
better beer.
