The Great American Beer Festival is finally back! With the incredible number of beers being served on the festival floor, it can sometimes seem a bit overwhelming. So PorchDrinking is here again to help you navigate the lineup and plan your route at the festival. As part of this research, we went through every beer being served at this year’s fest to put together a series of themed routes to help you plan your GABF based on different styles and flavors.

Earlier this week we highlighted the best non-alcoholic beers at the festival, and this morning we featured lower alcohol lagers, but now we’re upping the octane to barrel-aged and high alcohol 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 just a few.

Now we invite you to discover some of the juiciest, barrel-aged beers we know of to be served at GABF.

GABF routes 2024: Choose a routeLagersHoppy beersBarrel aged / High alcohol contentSpontaneous / Wild / SourFruit-Forward / Cider / NA Beer

Barrel-aged, high-alcohol beers to try at GABF

3 Floyds Brewing – Booth J-1

• Crusher: Barrel Aged Coffee Stout – 15.1% ABV
• Dark Lord – 15% ABV

Avery Brewing – Booth D-40

• Optimization: Barrel-aged Imperial Coffee Stout – 15.3% ABV
• Old-Fashioned Friends: Reverend Belgian Quad, aged in 10-year-old Bulleit bourbon casks 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 – Stand J-11

• Belgian Quad – 10.5% ABV
• Buche de Noel: Imperial Stout 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% Vol

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

• Cheers to winter: barrel-aged stout Cacao 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, cacao 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

• ​​Matroschka 2023: Barrel-aged Russian Imperial Stout – 13.5% ABV

Fremont Brewing – Booth D-31

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

Great Divide Brewery & Roadhouse – Booth A-23

• Laws Whiskey Barrel Aged Yeti – 12.5% ​​Vol

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-Handed Brewing – Stand F-12

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

The Lost Abbey Brewing – Booth C-65

• Righteous Son – Barrel Aged Blended Old Ale – 12%

Maplewood Brewing – Booth A-39

• Barrel Aged Cuppa – Imperial Stout – 13.0% ABV

Modern Times Beer – Stand A-11

• Mega Devil’s Teeth: Double Dutch S’mores: Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels with vanilla, cocoa nibs and vegan stroop waffles – 13.5% ABV
• Decahex Double Coconut: Imperial Stout aged in 10 year old bourbon barrels with coconut – 16.2% ABV

MORE Brewing – Stand 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 – Stand 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 – Stand C-62

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

Radiant Beer Co. – Booth C-63

• A touch of everything – BBA Vanilla Stout – 13% ABV

Relationship Beerworks – Status G-18

• Barrel Aged Barley Wine – 11.0% ABV

Reuben’s Brews – Heavy Medal

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

Revolution Brewing – Booth J-57

• DBVSOD: Double Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout – 17.9% ABV
• VSOJ: Barrel Aged Barley Wine – 15.0% ABV

River North Brewery – Booth J-58

• Barrel Aged God Complex: Four times barrel aged – 19.3% ABV
• Barrel Aged Shadowman: Barrel Aged Imperial Stout – 16.6% ABV
• Barrel Aged Father Time Wine: Barrel Aged Barley Wine – 16.8% ABV

Rhinegeist Brewery – Stand B-13

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

Samuel Adams – Stand 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: Barrel-aged rum barley wine with toasted coconut chips and pineapple puree – 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% Vol

Stem Ciders – Stand 57

• Pommeau – 5 year barrel aged port – 22% ABV

Sun King Brewery – Booth B-17

• The Velvet Fog: Barrel-aged Belgian quad with cherries – 14.2% ABV
• Soul Shakedown Party: Barrel Aged Scotch Ale with Rum – 14.2% ABV

Taproom Beer Company – Booth A-60

• Moments of Quiet Banter: Barrel-Aged Bourbon and Tawny Port Barley Wine – 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% Vol
• Dark Aura: Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout – 10% ABV

Fall of Goliath Brewing – Booth C-79

• Assassin: Barrel Aged Stout – 15.2% ABV

Trap Door Brewing – Booth D-73

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

Une Année Brewery – Stand B-19

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

Upslope Brewing – Booth 2568

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

Forbidden Brewing – Booth H-15

• Grow Old With You: Barrel-Aged Barley Wine – 13.5% Vol
• Smoke Monster: Barrel Aged Smoked Barley Wine – 15% ABV
• Barrel-aged others in the dark: 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 old Templeton Rye Whiskey and 9 year old Blanton’s Bourbon, conditioned with bourbon vanilla beans from Madagascar – 14.1% ABV

Wren House Brewing – Booth C-83

• King Snake: Imperial Stout conditioned with PNG and Madagascar vanilla beans, aged in a single Jack Daniels Rye Whiskey cask – 11% ABV

ZwanzigZ Brewing – Booth A-71

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