10 Stouts To Try If You Like Guinness

When St. Patrick's Day rolls around, Guinness is the drink on everyone's mind, and with good reason. What better way to celebrate the holiday than by imbibing Ireland's most iconic beer?

Guinness is arguably the most well-known, beloved, rich, and creamy stout on the planet. It's even popular in Africa, and that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the lore surrounding the brand. Still, if you're ready to branch out from the ordinary, there are plenty of other delicious stouts that every true lover of Guinness should try. From beers that are quite similar to those that break the mold and skew a little heavier, you'll be able to toe the line and stray from the norm at your heart's desire.

As a lover of stout beers (and all things Irish, for that matter), this is a list I've tasted and know well. And before we begin, please don't get me wrong: I'm not saying you should give Guinness up entirely — you most certainly should not! But as you'll soon learn, the category of stout beer is far from a one-trick pony, and these are the pints that prove it.

As a whole, Trillium Brewing Company in Massachusetts is a fantastic brewery, and its beers are quite popular in New England and beyond. While it produces many tasty beers, in my opinion, one of its best is undeniably the Irish Stout. I'm not alone in this, either. On Beer Advocate, it has an impressive score of 90. Translation: It's outstanding. One commenter had this to say about it: "Like Jack Nicholson bumming one in the ['60s] on the back of a Harley, Irish Stout shows up to the party, and everyone knows its name. This one is legit like Lance Armstrong before the truth came out." It's hard to sing Trillium Irish Stout's praises any better than that.

This stout boasts a 5.2% ABV, but it is rich and complex enough to make you think it's much higher. On the palate, it presents rich flavors of milk chocolate, roasted coffee, and caramel. Some even pick up on a bit of toasted biscuit — intriguing, right? The finish is also mildly bitter and in my book, these are all hallmarks of a fantastic stout. My recommendation? Get your hands on one ASAP. Even if you don't swoon for it, as a Guinness-lover, there's a great chance you'll appreciate its nuanced flavors and craft beer style.

If a velvety mouthfeel is your jam, Lawson's Nitro Irish Stout has your back. The nitro label is a great indicator of that all by itself, but this beer truly follows through. For example, one commenter on Beer Advocate said, "The feel here is phenomenal. Smooth and creamy while managing to be dry. Just perfect." It has an overall rating of 92 on the site, so the beer nerds have spoken, and it's more than fair to say that they approve.

A creamy texture isn't all Lawson's Irish Stout offers, though. What makes this beer truly delicious (at least for me) is all of the complex stout flavors found within. It is made using authentic Irish malts, something every Guinness fan knows makes it stand out from the competition. As a result, it brings notes of roasted coffee, chocolate, and even a touch of smoke to round it all out. If you are after something slightly more potent than Guinness, but one that still won't bowl you over, Lawson's 5.4% ABV fits the bill in that regard as well.

If you discover that you love Lawson's Nitro Irish Stout as much as the rest of us do, I also recommend trying some of the brewery's other beers. Sip Of Sunshine IPA is perhaps the best-known, but anything you can get your hands on is worth a go.

As a proud Colorado girlie, I'd be remiss if I didn't add Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro to our list of must-try beers for Guinness fans. Left Hand Brewing is an exceptional Colorado brewery and it produces a whole lineup of mouthwatering beers, but the Milk Stout Nitro is by far its shining star. In fact, you can find it all over in the state and beyond. I might be a bit biased here (Colorado pride and all), but this is truly a stout to be reckoned with.

With a milk stout, you expect a rich, creamy mouthfeel and flavor, and that's exactly what Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro delivers. The nitro head coats your palate in expert fashion, and the flavors that accompany are the veritable icing on the cake. With each sip, you get an abundance of milk chocolate, coffee, brown sugar, and even some vanilla cream, all things I can't resist coming back for time and time again. With a 6% ABV, it isn't a weak beer, either.

On Beer Advocate, Left Hand Milk Stout Nitro currently has a score of 92, which we know by now is a significant accomplishment denoting outstanding quality. As one commenter said, it's "worth the price of admission," and I couldn't agree more. Give it a try, and something tells me you'll be seeking it out forevermore.

When you combine a smooth Scottish stout recipe with Irish whiskey barrels, you wind up with a beer worthy of some international attention. Innis & Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask Stout is proof of that. It features notes of dark chocolate (my personal fave), espresso, and vanilla with a chocolate finish. Some drinkers also pick up on earthy notes and hints of oatmeal. As expected based on the name, you'll also get a bit of whiskey and oak as well. The use of roasted barley in the recipe also lends a helping hand in the flavor department. Altogether, it's a wild ride every Guinness-lover should take at least once.

Overall, Innis & Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask Stout is a beautifully balanced beer with a pleasing amount of bitterness, a medium-range 6.1% ABV, and all the other stuff you could possibly want from a top-notch stout. Well, maybe not everything, because it scored a little lower on Beer Advocate than many of the other options on this list — 87, to be exact. Still, that is a darn good number (technically classified as "Very Good" on the site), all things considered, and you can't please everyone.

If you want to experiment even more, you could deploy Innis & Gunn Irish Whiskey Cask Stout in a creative stout-infused whiskey sour. Talk about layering flavors — sign me up!

If you love Guinness, there's good chance you've already tried — or at the very least heard of – Murphy's Stout. It's a classic dark beer that's arguably just as recognizable as Guinness if you frequent Irish pubs. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say it's Guinness' biggest, mass-produced competitor here in the United States and often draws comparisons. True die-hards might not accept the stand-in, and hardcore Murphy's fans will surely argue their own case for which is better until the end of time. But these beers are eerily similar enough that I'm confident most Guinness lovers would do well with the switch up, at least for a round.

 Murphy's Stout is made with a simple, all-natural recipe that's more than 160 years old, so there's no denying the brand is doing something right. How else could it stay around for so long? As for flavor and mouthfeel, it is extra-smooth, creamy, and it boasts notes of chocolate, toffee, and coffee. Yum! It also has almost zero bitterness on the backend. As a result, it is considered to be a touch lighter and sweeter than Guinness. The ABV is also a hair lower — Murphy's is 4% to Guinness' is 4.2%.

If you haven't already made up your mind about the never-ending Murphy's versus Guinness debate, this is your sign to give it another go. After all, they are too similar not to enjoy them both.

Roak Devil Dog is the first oatmeal stout to grace our list of beers to try if you like Guinness. As an oatmeal stout, it offers notes of rolled oats, nutty chocolate, and roasted coffee. It's also smooth and not overly creamy, so if you like a lighter mouthfeel, it is a shoo-in the next time you're up for something new. With a high 8.3% ABV, it's also the most potent beer we've covered thus far, so it's a powerhouse for sure. With this in mind, it may not be the beer you reach for when you plan on having more than a couple at a time — watch out if you do — but it packs a serious punch that's best savored slowly. Challenge accepted.

Despite the significantly higher ABV than Guinness, reviewers on Beer Advocate note that Roak Devil Dog Oatmeal Stout is exceptionally smooth, drinks easily, and doesn't taste boozy. Sounds like a win to me. Plus, a portion of the proceeds from every beer sold is donated to Veterans Affairs hospitals in the local Detroit community from which it hails. It never hurts to feel like you're doing some good when downing a pint. It's not like I needed another selling point to convince me to drink it, but you better believe that's what I'm gonna tell myself the next time I buy some.

I know I just told you to be careful with Devil Dog Oatmeal Stout's high ABV, but it doesn't hold a flame to Michigan's New Holland Dragon's Milk Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout. With a whopping 11% ABV, it is by far the most powerful stout on this list, so consider yourself warned. This highly boozy beer isn't much like Guinness in that regard; if you recall, it only has a 4.2% ABV, but that doesn't mean you should steer clear. In fact, if you think you can handle the uptick in alcohol, it's a pleasant stout to sip.

Admittedly, New Holland Dragon's Milk Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout is another lesser-known favorite of mine, at least when it comes to stout beers. You don't have to take my word for it, though. It also has an impressively high score of 90 on Beer Advocate. What the hivemind I like most about it, aside from all that bang for your buck in the alcohol department, is its smooth, black coffee flavor with a nice dose of oaky bourbon to back it up. One reviewer on Beer Advocate put it this way: "Bourbon forward, and it lands almost like a nice black coffee. Nuanced and balanced while being just a damn good dark beer with a decent mouth feel, a thicker head, and a welcoming aroma." It also offers hints of chocolate and vanilla, so what's not to like?

Ah, Allagash Brewing Company. As someone whose family calls Maine home, it holds a place near and dear to my heart. First and foremost, the founder and master brewer, Rob Tod, is a lover of witte beers, and they are my favorite style as well (so it's no wonder I'm drawn to the microbrewery). Even so, and luckily I might add, he produces way more than that one style of beer. While they all hit the mark, Allagash North Sky Stout is one that really takes the cake. It features a balanced bitterness and a delicious mash-up of sweet and fruity notes that are sure to draw even the most novice stout drinker in. I should know, it's one of the first I tried that really sold me on the style for good. Now I'm a lifer.

It only scored an 89 on Beer Advocate, but as one reviewer on the site said, "Look: This beer deserves more credit ... It's a well-done Belgian dark ale/stout with good availability. That deserves respect – and it is better than 'Very Good'. It's a 90+ beer." Well said, and agreed! It also has a decently high 7.5% ABV, so you're sure to feel it. Again, I'll warn you to be careful, though, because it is tasty enough to go down dangerously fast.

If straying from Guinness intrigues you but you don't want to venture too far, Sullivan's Black Marble Stout is a safe bet. It's super tasty, so regretting a switch-up is highly unlikely. With a 5.1% ABV, it is only slightly stronger than Guinness, so you shouldn't have to worry about overdoing it.

Sullivan's Black Marble Stout is a traditional, nitro-infused Irish dry stout. It features a delectable roasted aroma with notes of coffee, fruit, bitter chocolate, and just the right amount of hops to balance the whole thing out. It also provides a pillowy nitro mouthfeel — sound familiar, Guinness lovers? Additionally, it managed to score a 90 on Beer Advocate, i.e., beer nerds everywhere think it is outstanding. According to one such reviewer, Sullivan's Black Marble Stout is "malty, smooth, and eminently quaffable. Like a Guinness but with a tiny bit more oomph, and a slight cacao–like overtone to balance the mild bitterness." Consider me sold.

If you are looking for a delicious stout to use in your cooking, say for something like chocolate stout pudding, Sullivan's Black Marble Stout would surely do the job. All around, it's a winner, and it may not be a local craft brew, but it's still one of my favorites.

As the can proudly proclaims, O'Hara's Irish Stout Nitro is craft-brewed in Ireland, and as any Guinness lover knows, that's a recipe for success. Thanks to the nitro-infusion, it offers darn near the same creamy mouthfeel as our tried-and-true stout. With a 4.3% ABV, it's almost the same in that regard as well (in case you forgot, Guinness is 4.2%). As for flavor, it brings all the roasty goodness you'd expect from a beer of this style, so really, it doesn't leave anything on the table.

The Beer Advocate score for this nitro stout is a "Very Good" 86, which is somewhat low compared to the other stouts gracing this list. Don't let that steer you away, though. As one reviewer noted, it "smells roasty, toasty, and chocolatey. I'm not getting as much of that acidic coffee note I get with Guinness or Murphy's, and for me, that's a plus. The mouth feel is just perfectly creamy as well." Additionally, several people on a Reddit thread say it's worth a shot if you want to branch out from Guinness. Some of them even claim it's better. I enjoy the extra bitterness associated with the potent coffee notes in a Guinness, so I wouldn't go that far, but this is a darn good stout regardless. There's only one way to find out who is right, though, and you know what that is: Give it a try for yourself!