Fall is barrel-aged stout season: the five big beers in this guide — an 8% oatmeal stout, a chili-and-cacao imperial stout, a San Diego coffee-hazelnut stout and two bourbon-barrel Fremont releases — are all in stock at Del Mesa Liquor, our family-owned store in San Diego, California, priced from $18.99 to $32.99 and available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
Why Big Beer Belongs to Autumn
Imperial stouts and barleywines were built for cold months: high alcohol, dark malt depth and, in the barrel-aged bottles, months of rest in bourbon oak that layers vanilla and spice over the roast. They pour into a snifter like a digestif, share like a bottle of wine, and the strongest of them cellar gracefully for years. Our full range sits in the craft beer collection, with the dark end gathered in stout and porter.
The Bottles in Stock
- Fremont Dark Star Imperial Oatmeal Stout — $18.99. Seattle's silky 8.0% ABV oatmeal stout (50 IBU) brewed with flaked oats and roast barley: dark chocolate, caramel and coffee, with espresso and cocoa on the palate. The gateway bottle of this guide.
- Perennial Abraxas Imperial Stout — $27.99. St. Louis' legendary 750mL imperial stout brewed with ancho chili peppers, cacao nibs, vanilla beans and cinnamon sticks — recent vintages run 10.5% ABV at 80 IBU, with a perfect 100 on RateBeer. Warming spice over deep roast.
- Pure Project Lost Monarch Imperial Stout with Coffee & Hazelnuts 2021 — $27.99. San Diego's own: an 11.5% ABV, 22oz imperial stout brewed with organic Huehuetenango coffee from Guatemala (roasted by Mostra Coffee) and organic Oregon hazelnuts — the brewery sums it up as hazelnut, mocha, pizzelle.
- Fremont Brewing 12th Anniversary Golden Barleywine 2021 — $29.99. A limited 22oz golden barleywine from Seattle's Fremont Brewing (founded 2009): honeyed malt, toffee and dried apricot in a deep-gold pour, built to cellar, share and revisit as it evolves.
- Fremont Cinnamon Coconut B-Bomb 2021 — $32.99. The winter variant of Fremont's Bourbon Barrel-Aged Winter Ale at 13.0% ABV: a blend of 9-, 12- and 24-month-old barrel-aged ale from 8–12-year-old American oak bourbon barrels, finished with cinnamon and toasted coconut. Bronze at the 2021 Brussels Beer Challenge.
Drink Now or Cellar?
Dark Star and Lost Monarch are ready tonight — serve them cool, not cold, in a snifter or tulip so the malt and coffee open up. Abraxas drinks beautifully now, its chili warmth intact. The two Fremont anniversary and B-Bomb bottles are the cellar plays: at 13%, B-Bomb's bourbon, vanilla and dark chocolate will keep integrating for years. For mixed fall drinking, pair this guide with our fall ready-to-drink cocktails roundup, and check our shipping and return policy before ordering the cellar bottles shipped.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an imperial stout?
An imperial stout is a high-strength dark beer — the bottles here run from 8.0% to 13.0% ABV — brewed with heavily roasted malts for chocolate, coffee and roast flavors. Barrel-aged versions rest in bourbon barrels, adding vanilla, oak and spirit warmth.
What does Perennial Abraxas taste like?
Abraxas is an imperial stout brewed with ancho chili peppers, cacao nibs, vanilla beans and cinnamon sticks: deep roast and chocolate first, then gentle chili warmth and baking spice. Recent vintages are 10.5% ABV in a 750mL bottle, $27.99 at Del Mesa Liquor.
Can you cellar barrel-aged stouts and barleywines?
Yes — high-alcohol, dark beers like Fremont Cinnamon Coconut B-Bomb 2021 (13.0% ABV) and the Fremont 12th Anniversary Golden Barleywine are built for cellaring in a cool, dark place, where their malt and barrel flavors integrate over years.
Where can I buy barrel-aged stouts online?
All five beers in this guide are in stock and available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, a family-owned store in San Diego, California — including San Diego's own Pure Project Lost Monarch at $27.99.