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

1. Lion Stout $8.99/6-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. "

2. 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."

3. Stone Brewing IPA $10.79/6-pack 12 oz. bottles

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 22 ounce bottle (pictured) is available for $4.29.

4. Chimay Grand Réserve Blue Label Trappist Ale $10.49/750 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 $4.49.

5. Stone Brewing Arrogant Bastard Ale $4.59/22 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."

6. Chimay Cinq Cents Triple White Label Trappist Ale $8.99/750 ml.

Origin: Belgium.

Style: Tripel.

Alcohol Content: 8.0%.

Beer Advocate Rating: A-.

Chimay notes: "This beer with its typical golden color, its slightly hazy appearance and its fine head is especially characterised by its aroma which results from an agreeable combination of fresh hops and yeast. The beer's flavor, as sensed in the mouth, comes from the smell of hops: above all it is the fruity notes of muscat and raisins that give this beer a particularly attractive aroma. The aroma complements the touch of bitterness. There is no acidity, but an after-bitterness which melts in the mouth. This top fermented Trappist beer, refermented in the bottle, is not pasteurized." The pictured 330 ml. (11 ounce) bottle is available for $4.19.

7. Stone Brewing Ruination IPA $17.19/6-pack 12 oz. bottles

Origin: California.

Style: American Double.

Alcohol Content: 7.7%.

Beer Advocate Rating: A.

Brewery notes: "So called because of the 'ruinous' effect on your palate! This massive hop monster has a wonderfully delicious and intensely bitter flavor on a refreshing malt base." Stone calls this brew, "a liquid poem to the glory of the hop." The 22 ounce bottle (pictured) is also available for $5.69.

8. Duvel $14.59/4-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 a 750 ml. bottle for $8.89.

9. Flying Dog Brewery Gonzo Imperial Porter $8.99/4-pack 12 oz. bottles

Origin: Maryland.

Style: Baltic Porter.

Alcohol Content: 7.8%.

Beer Advocate Rating: A-.

Brewery notes: "Strong Cascade hop aroma with a dark, rich malty body, intense roasted flavors, and a surprisingly unique hop kick. Pair with desserts, chocolate, dried sweet fruits, or main dishes like smoked meats or barbecue. The appearance is like dark chocolate, unfiltered. 85 IBUs."

10. Chimay Première Red Label Trappist Ale $8.99/750 ml.

Origin: Belgium.

Style: Dubbel.

Alcohol Content: 7.0%.

Beer Advocate Rating: A-.

Chimay notes: "it is noted for its coppery color which makes it particularly attractive. Topped with a creamy head, it gives off a light, fruity apricot aroma produced by the fermentation. The taste perceived in the mouth is a balance confirming the fruity nuances noticed in the fragrance. Its taste, which imparts a silky sensation to the tongue, is made refreshing by a light touch of bitterness. To the palate, the taster perceives a pleasant astringency which complements the flavor qualities of this beer very harmoniously. This top fermented Trappist beer, refermented in the bottle, is not pasteurized." The pictured 330 ml. (11 ounce) bottle is $3.99.