Current Top 10 Selling High-Proof Brews
(Sales of all sizes of any one particular brew are combined for this ranking)

1. Chimay Grand Réserve Blue Label Trappist Ale $11.99/750 ml.

Origin: Belgium.

Style: Belgian Strong Dark Ale.

Alcohol Content: 9.0%.

Beer Advocate Rating: A-.

Chimay notes: "This is a beer whose fragrance of fresh yeast with a light, flowery rosy touch is especially pleasant. Its flavor, noticed when tasting it, only accentuates the pleasant sensations perceived in the aroma, while revealing a light but pleasant touch of roasted malt. This top fermented Trappist beer, refermented in the bottle, is not pasteurized." The pictured 330 ml. (11 ounce) bottle is $4.99.

2. Lion Stout $13.99/6-pack 330 ml. bottles

Origin: Sri Lanka.

Style: Foreign Stout.

Alcohol Content: 8.0%.

Beer Advocate Rating: A-.

Jason Alström, Beer Advocate, comments: "Full bodied with a moderate carbonation. Smooth and creamy without a doubt, coffee and unsweetened chocolate come to mind at the first taste. Fruity twang in the middle of black currants, this twang doubles with a roasted grain flavour that is perfectly balanced. Hints of charcoal and earth run middle to end as the alcohol as kicks in with a warming estery character. Finishes slightly sweet with vague remnants of roastedness. "

3. Flying Dog Brewery Double Dog Pale Ale $8.99/4-pack 12 oz. bottles

Origin: Maryland.

Style: American Double.

Alcohol Content: 11.5%.

Beer Advocate Rating: A-.

Brewery notes: "Aggressively hopped ale with a provocative aroma and hints of raisins and citrus. The appearance is deep amber, unfiltered. Food pairings: Smoked meats, sharp cheddar, sausage. 85 IBUs."

4. Dale's Pale Ale $9.99/6-pack 12 oz. cans

Origin: Colorado.

Style: American IPA.

Alcohol Content: 6.5%.

Beer Advocate Rating: B+.

From Oskar Blue's Cajun Grill & Brewery in Lyons, Colorado. Brewery notes: " Dale's Pale Ale is America's first hand-canned craft beer. It's an assertive but deftly balanced beer (somewhere between an American pale ale and an India Pale Ale) brewed with hefty amounts of European malts and American hops. It features a merengue-like head, a copper color, and a hoppy nose, thanks to a big post-boil addition of Centennial hops. To complement its hoppy first impression, Dale's also sports a rich middle of malts and hops, and a bracing finish. Dale's features 65 International Bittering Units." OMG! A great beer from a CAN!

5. Spaten Optimator $8.99/6-pack 12 oz. bottles

Origin: Germany.

Style: Doppelbock.

Alcohol Content: 7.2%.

Beer Advocate Rating: B+.

Spaten says, "Classic German dark beer, bottom fermented. Full bodied with a deep dark color and rich roasted malt flavor." Beer Advocate's Alström Brothers notes: "Rich deep dark copper with a light tan head that dissipates to a sticky lace. Smell: Hints of caramel, sweet and toasted malt. Taste: Thick and huge stodgy malt, caramel, rounded toasted malt. Ahhh ... a meal in a bottle."

6. Oskar Blues Old Chub Scottish Style Ale $9.99/6-pack 12 oz. cans

Origin: Colorado.

Style: Scottish Ale.

Alcohol Content: 8.0%.

Beer Advocate Rating: A-.

Brewery notes: " Old Chub is brewed with hearty amounts of seven different malts, including crystal and chocolate malts, and a smidge of US and UK hops. Old Chub also gets a dash of beechwood-smoked grains imported from Bamburg, Germany, home of the world's greatest smoked beers. Old Chub takes care of our deep affections for malt.The cola-colored beer (almost black) features a tan head, a creamy, skim-milk mouthfeel, and rich, semi-sweet flavors of caramel and chocolate throughout. The addition of smoked grains gives Old Chub a delicate kiss of smoke on the finish. Here is the beer equivalent of a lightly smoked single malt scotch, or your favorite dark chocolate." Amazing, you can get this quality ale in a can!

7. Boulder Beer Mojo India Pale Ale $8.99/6-pack 12 oz. bottles

Origin: Colorado.

Style: American IPA.

Alcohol Content: 6.8%.

Beer Advocate Rating: B+.

Brewery notes: "A herbaceous ale, pale in color, but packed with flavor, Mojo reflects the perfeect balance of hop bitterness and malt character. The unique Amarillo hop creates a big citrus flavor with an ultra-crisp dry finish." Single 22 ounce bottles are also available for $3.49.

8. Stone Brewing Arrogant Bastard Ale $4.99/22 ounce bottle

Origin: California.

Style: American Strong Ale.

Alcohol Content: 7.2%.

Beer Advocate Rating: A-.

First introduced in November, 1997, this is an aggressive beer. Hugely complex, deep reddish brown, frothy and stick, there's a lot going on between the hops and malt in this brew. Beer Advocate Todd Alström says, "Medium bodied, yet rich, full and complex. Smooth, especially as it warms. Big malty sweetness with caramel, chocolate and toasted/roasted flavours. Alcohol prickliness teases the palate then the brew kicks its ass with an assertive hop profile. It's raw, coarse, a bit prickly itself, mildly rind-like. Helps to balance the huge malt flavours. Finishes with a lingering sweetness, caramel, roasted coffee. A bit grain/dry too."

9. Duvel $13.99/4-pack 330 ml. bottles

Origin: Belgium.

Style: Belgian Strong Pale Ale.

Alcohol Content: 8.5%.

Beer Advocate Rating: A.

Brewery notes: "Duvel has the complexity and depth of an ale, with the ease and refreshing nature of a Pilsner. Duvel is fermented 3 times - twice at the brewery and the final time in the bottle." Jason Alström (Beer Advocate co-founder) notes: "A top shelf brew, this one does it for me and then some. Pretty much sex in a bottle and the devil told me to drink it. Duvel is close to dry champagne but so much more. Between the bitterness and the sheer crispness, this beer is what I expect from the Belgian strong pale ale style." Also available in 22 ounce bottles for $8.99, and occasionally in a 1.5 Liter bottle.

10. Stone Brewing IPA $4.99/22 ounce bottle

Origin: California.

Style: American IPA.

Alcohol Content: 6.9%.

Beer Advocate Rating: A.

Brewery notes: "Stone India Pale Ale is true to style with a huge hop aroma, flavor and bitterness throughout. Expect medium malt character with a heavy dose of over the top hops." Appearance: Rich golden amber. Hop aromas dominate and might turn away those who aren't "hop heads". Flavorwise, it's very bitter but with just enough malty character to balance. The 6-pack of 12 ounce bottles is available for $12.99.