Fremont Brewing Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star Imperial Stout Beer 2025
Fremont Brewing Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star Imperial Stout Beer 2025 is the limited 2025 release of the Seattle brewery's famed barrel-aged imperial oatmeal stout, bottled at 15.7% ABV in a 22 oz bottle. Dark Star is brewed in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood with a heavy hand of chocolate malts and a generous portion of oats in the mash, giving it a silky, smooth body, and it stands among the highest-rated oatmeal stouts on BeerAdvocate. For the 2025 release the brewers blended Dark Star aged 8, 12, 18 and 24 months in Kentucky bourbon barrels that had previously held whiskey for 7 to 12 years, layering the fresher, roastier lots with the deeper oak and bourbon character of the longer-aged ones. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 15.7%
- Size: 22 oz bottle
- Style: Bourbon barrel-aged imperial oatmeal stout
- Blend: Dark Star aged 8, 12, 18 and 24 months in 7-12-year-old Kentucky bourbon barrels
- Brewery: Fremont Brewing, Seattle, Washington
- Origin: Washington, USA
Seattle's Barrel-Aged Benchmark, Blended Across Four Ages
Fremont Brewing built its national reputation on its barrel program, and Dark Star is the beer that carries it: an imperial oatmeal stout designed from the start to take on bourbon oak. Rather than resting a single vintage in barrels, the 2025 release is a blend across four ages of barrel time, so the cocoa and espresso depth of the younger lots meets the toasted sugar and oak of stouts that sat in Kentucky bourbon wood for up to two years. The 2025 vintage earned 94 points and an Exceptional rating at the Tastings.com World Beer Championships. Find more limited barrel-aged releases in our beer collection and the rare and top shelf shelves.
Tasting Notes
Fremont describes the beer as a bourbon-infused chocolate truffle with espresso undertones — cocoa and vanilla up front, evolving into toasted sugar and oak on the palate, over the base stout's roasted, chocolate-malt richness and smooth oat body.
How to Enjoy
Pour it into a snifter, let it warm a few degrees from fridge temperature, and share it — at 15.7% ABV a 22 oz bottle is built for two glasses. Bourbon drinkers will recognize the barrel character immediately; our whisky shelves hold the spirits that seasoned its barrels.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of beer is Dark Star?
An imperial oatmeal stout — brewed with chocolate malts and oats for a silky body — aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels. The 2025 release blends stout aged 8, 12, 18 and 24 months.
How strong is it and what size is the bottle?
15.7% ABV, in a 22 oz bottle, wax-dipped as Fremont's limited barrel-aged releases are.
Can it be cellared?
Yes — high-ABV barrel-aged stouts like Dark Star are among the most cellar-worthy beers brewed, and the blend's longer-aged components reward patience.
Pick up Fremont Dark Star 2025 at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — a limited release that sells through every year.