8% Alcohol Beers

Whether you’re having a party with your friends or a bad day, beer will always taste and feel good. However, not everyone can drink the same; some can handle a lot, and some can only handle the lowest ABV. But whatever ABV one can tolerate, a beer of 8% ABV should suffice.

What beers have 8% alcohol? Popular 8% beers are from The Dogfish Head, Avery Brewing, Russian River Brewery, Prairie, Deschutes Brewery, and Flying Dog Brewery.

Some of these beers you may not have heard about. As you read along with this post, you will get to know these 8% ABV beers.

Dogfish Head Raison d’Être

Brewery – Dogfish Head Brewery

% Alcohol – 8% ABV. Delaware-based Raison D’etre is another beer from Dogfish Head Brewing that is bold and full of personality. The light copper color is attractive. The beer pours a considerable off-white colored head, despite being a tad light for the style.

Appearance – Its body is a rich dark brown with reddish-brown accents that are practically black outside of direct light. A two-finger caramel head sits on top, leaving adequate lacing. It is a beautiful presentation.

Aroma – Deep-roasted malt prevails, which is slightly sweet and smokey. It’s complemented by dark berry aromas and a boozy kick at the back.

Taste – Dark berry and dark chocolate aromas run through this roasty, smokey, and nutty malt. The aftertaste is roasty and robust. In the end, there’s a nice amount of bitterness to balance things out. Alcohol with a strong personality goes well with anything.

Mouthfeel – The body is medium-full, and the carbonation is mild. You can taste the alcohol in your throat as you finish a sip. The finish is pleasant and dry.

Drinkability – This is in the last part of the sipper zone, with a good dose of alcohol and a diverse profile.

Verdict – Raison D’Etre is another excellent and distinctive product from Dogfish Head. It has a complex flavor profile and a lot going on in just one glass. It is a fantastic beer to drink in the evening and think about.

Dogfish Head Rosabi Review

Brewery – Dogfish Head Brewery

% Alcohol – 8.0% ABV. Rosabi (a combination of the beer’s rose color and the addition of wasabi) was created with Julianna Barwick. This beer is another of Dogfish’s collaborative brews. A five-song EP is included with the brew.

Appearance – Two fingers of the frothy off-white head top a crystal-clear reddish-amber-brown body that fades slowly, leaving dazzling lacing.

Aroma – Over huge sticky caramel malt, resinous and grapefruit peel-like hops are combined with sharp and fiery wasabi.

Taste – Hops are resinous, sticky, lemony, herbaceous, and mildly bitter, with a beautiful flourish of wasabi on the front end. Because the chemical burn quality of wasabi has been reduced, the wasabi is more delicious. It is also less intense than a typical interaction with wasabi.

A vast, rich, almost burnt caramel malt body balances everything out well underneath. Throughout, there is a bit of spicy alcohol. All of the elements work well together.

Green and aromatic hops, a smidgeon of wasabi, and a gooey toffee pudding malt finish.

Mouthfeel – Mild-bodied, with a drying finish and medium carbonation. Wasabi and whiskey add heat to the dish.

Drinkability – Given the alcohol content and imperial designation, it drinks roughly as one would expect.

Verdict – Rosabi is a syrupy, resinous IPA or mild Double IPA with an intriguing wasabi flavor. We were hoping for a bit more aggressive/crazy wasabi attack here, to be honest.

Russian River Pliny the Elder

Brewery – Russian River Brewing Co.

% Alcohol – 8% ABV. Russian River now produces a highly regarded and sought-after lineup of Belgian and West Coast beers. Pliny the Elder and Pliny the Younger are the most well-known of these.

The Elder is a Double IPA that can be found on draft and in bottles. The Younger is a Triple IPA that can only be found on draft and is frequently recognized as the best beer on the planet.

Appearance – The body is a clear orange-copper with over two fingers of off-white lace that fades slowly and leaves beautiful lacing.

Aroma – Over caramel malt and mild alcohol, plenty of dank, piney, citrusy (grapefruit and juicy orange), floral, and spicy hops—a DIPA from the West Coast.

Taste – A massive wave of grapefruity, peppery, resinous, and potently bitter hops greets you upfront. A more reserved husky caramel malt backbone anchors everything underneath, allowing the hops to take center stage.

The alcohol is present in small amounts throughout the dish, providing a hint of spiciness. Hops are grapefruity, vegetal, bitter, toasted husky malt, and a smidgeon of alcohol in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel – Medium-bodied and silky, with a bone-dry finish and smooth medium carbonation. The alcohol provides a slight slickness to the mix.

Drinkability – It drinks a little faster than the alcohol concentration suggests, making it a DIPA that can be consumed quickly.

Verdict – Pliny the Elder, the ultimate West Coast Double IPA, lives up to the hype, in our opinion. We can understand acolytes criticizing this as overly quiet when compared to today’s brash and bruising DIPAs. However, the craftsmanship and superb character are evident to anybody observing.

Avery Brewing Co. Old Jubilation Ale

Brewery – Avery Brewing Co.

% Alcohol – 8.3% ABV. Avery Brewing Company is one of the big, well-respected Colorado breweries that helped to launch the Western US Craft Beer movement. Avery began making and distributing beer to the general public in 1993. While they are now part of the same Mahou-San Miguel company as Founders Brewing, their reputation for quality beer remains strong.

Appearance – With its chocolate brown color, tan foam, and mellow carbonation, this beer has a vintage feel.

Aroma – The beer pours a dark, almost black color, with a sweet but predominantly nutty aroma.

Taste – Like those cream sweeteners that make gas station coffee acceptable, it’s vaguely sweet and deep. It has layers of dark roast coffee, cherry, and hazelnut.

Mouthfeel – The malty sweetness hits first, then the liquor washes over the taste, then hazelnut, then coffee harshness. This ale is balanced, but it comes at you in waves. This is all given with a slick, almost slimy mouthfeel.

Drinkability – There’s a delightful amount of booziness here that’s a little stronger than the 8.3 percent suggests.

Verdict – It’s tasty but not overly spicy and stands in sharp contrast to some other winter beers. There are no cinnamon or ginger biscuits in this house. Oh, and Avery is putting Old Jubilation in a can this year, which is fantastic.

Prairie Funky Galaxy

Brewery – Prairie Artisan Ales

% Alcohol – 8% ABV. Prairie refers to Funky Galaxy as a “black farmhouse ale.” However, it’s a “Dark Saison,” a lesser-known subgroup of the Saison family. While we usually think of Saisons as lighter in color, Dark Saisons are (unsurprisingly) darker in color. The reason for its darker color is their darker malt bills.

Appearance – A dark brown, almost black body is topped by a two-and-a-half-finger frothy tannish head that fades over time, leaving great lacing.

Aroma – Toasty malt, piney hops, and barnyard funk combine in this beer. As the temperature rises, a large amount of alcohol is released.

Taste – Citrusy Hops, tropical-fruity, piney, and mildly bitter, with a funky character that is faint but constant. Roasted malts, a mild funk, and a long finish with loads of green hops. A chocolaty and roasty malt backbone balances everything out underneath.
Mouthfeel – Medium-bodied and slightly creamy, with a dry finish and smooth medium carbonation. The alcohol adds a little heat and slickness to the mix.

Drinkability – The somewhat high alcohol content is hidden, as it is with all Prairie beers, so everything drinks faster than you’d think.

Verdict – Funky Galaxy is still a terrific beer, even if it doesn’t quite come together as nicely as the other beers. It ends up tasting like a little less powerful Black IPA with a funky undertone. With the malt intensity bumped up a notch, this has the potential to be truly remarkable, in our opinion.

Prairie Hop

Brewery – Prairie Artisan Ales

% Alcohol – 8% ABV. Prairie characterizes Prairie Hop as their hoppy Saison in a portfolio full of them. It was one of the first Prairie beers to make it to Texas, but it’s been out of stock for quite some time. Prairie started brewing earlier this year and brought it back.

Appearance – A hazy golden-copper body with nearly three fingers of bubbling off-white head that fades in average time and leaves beautiful lacing.

Aroma – Over a pale malt body with a funky undertone, there are many piney and lemony hops. Perhaps a scent of bourbon once it’s warmed up.

Taste – Citrusy, tropical-fruity, perfumey, floral, and piney hops dominate the front end, with a medium bitterness. Around the edges, there’s a slight funkiness. Underneath, a biscuity malt provides an excellent grounding. The alcohol is effectively hidden. In the finish, green hops, funk, and pale grain linger.

Mouthfeel – Medium-bodied and slightly creamy, with a dry finish and medium carbonation. The alcohol may have given it a slickness.

Drinkability – Drinks more quickly than the alcohol content suggests, so keep an eye on it.

Verdict – Prairie Hop is a hop-forward Belgian-style ale with a pleasant funky undertone, a refined overall flavor, and a surprising punch. Prairie has delivered another terrific product, making it a perfect two-for-two with me so far.

Prairie Ale

Brewery – Prairie Artisan Ales

% Alcohol – 8.2% ABV. Prairie Brewing Company is one of the most interesting new breweries in the country right now. With such a diverse range of beers, this beer earned a lot of attention on farmhouse and sour styles. However, there are also some big-hitter barrel-aged Stouts.

Appearance – The cork pops loudly when the bottle is opened. Pours a hazy golden-straw body buried beneath a thick, white head that is out of control. It spills five fingers of froth at first, but after a few seconds, it settles down. The retention is good after the initial burn-off, and the lacing is fantastic.

Aroma – Mild lemony and grassy hops, pale malt, and a decent amount of barnyard funk combine in this beer. Once it’s warmed up, there can be a fragrance of alcohol.

Taste – Over a pale and wheat-like body, spicy and grassy hops, lemon, white pepper, and plenty of characteristic Brettanomyces flavor. Each component works well with the others.

The alcohol is expertly disguised, imparting a hint of heat while remaining hidden behind the rest of the dish: grainy pale malt, grassy hops, and a funkiness to the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel – Medium-bodied and slightly creamy, with a dry aftertaste and medium-high carbonation. As it warms, there may be a trace of heat from the booze.

Drinkability – The beer drinks are more like a typical Saison than the higher alcohol concentration would suggest.

Verdict – Prairie Ale is a nice funky Saison with a surprising punch that you could quickly drink all day and get yourself into a lot of trouble with. We’re excited to see what else these guys come up with, as excellent as this is.

Flying Dog Kerberos Tripel

Brewery – Flying Dog Brewery

% Alcohol – 8.5% ABV. This is the first Tripel to make it to the top of 8% ABV beer. We may have to take a moment to describe the style. The Tripel is a traditional Trappist style stronger than Enkel (now commonly referred to as “Blond”) and Dubbel. However, it is slightly weaker than the Quadrupel.

Appearance – A somewhat hazy golden-amber body with a sliver of off-white head that fades quickly and leaves no lacing.

Aroma – A well-balanced blend of fruit (most notably orange), spices (clove and coriander), yeast, and a smidgeon of booze. It smells like a Tripel, to be sure.

Taste – Apple, citrus, pepper, and yeast all over a mild malt backbone, similar to the nose. Alcohol is more noticeable in the mouth than in the nose, but it’s still not overpowering. The aftertaste is fruity and spicy.

Mouthfeel – A medium-bodied beer with a drying finish and moderate carbonation. The alcohol does have a slickness and a faint burn to it at times.

Drinkability – It’s relatively easy to drink, but the alcohol content will eventually slow you down.

Verdict – Kerberos is a pleasant brew, but it’s not quite as good as it could be. Not bad for a brewery without a history of creating Belgian-style beers in the United States.

Deschutes Hop Henge Experimental IPA

Brewery – Deschutes Brewery

% Alcohol – 8.8% ABV. Hop Henge Experimental IPA, with approximately 100 IBUs, is the hoppiest beer in Deschutes’ Bond Street series of hop-forward beers. It was first produced in 2006, although the formula has changed significantly since then. This beer is designed to represent Deschutes’ more experimental side and their “commitment to innovation,” as the name implies.

Deschutes, as usual, goes into great depth on the construction. Several pounds of Centennial and Cascade hops are used in each barrel, with more hops used for dry-hopping.

Appearance – A somewhat hazy burnt-copper body is topped by an extensive and creamy off-white head with excellent lacing and lasting strength.

Aroma – Hops that are sweet, juicy, and lemony, with moderate alcohol content sit over a considerable caramel base.

Taste – There’s a hefty flourish of hops upfront, as you’d expect from a Double IPA. They have a lemony, piney, resinous, and bitter flavor. The alcohol concentration is nearly 9%, but it is skillfully concealed.

Underneath it all, there’s a strong enough caramel malt backbone to hold everything together. There are many resiny, bitter hops in this beer and a few wisps of alcohol towards the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel – A fuller-than-medium body with a dry aftertaste and mild carbonation.

Drinkability – This beer is perhaps a little above average for the style despite the high IBU rating. Just be aware of the nearly 9% alcohol content.

Verdict – Hop Henge is an excellent and well-rounded Double IPA, though I wouldn’t go so far as to call it “experimental.” For hopheads, this is a must-try.

Lagunitas Hop Stoopid Ale Review

Brewery – Lagunitas Brewing Co.

% Alcohol – 8% ABV. Lagunitas is known for its hoppy beers, so when their most hoppy beer arrived in Houston, I was ecstatic.

Hop Stoopid was created to cram as many different varieties of hops into a single bottle as possible. Unfortunately, the hop bill isn’t listed, so we’ll have to take their word for it.

They also don’t disclose any information on the malt bill, so we’ll have to make educated guesses there.

Appearance – A lighter body than most Double IPAs, with a crystal-clear, orange-amber hue. Two fingers of creamy, off-white head adorn the top, with excellent retention and lacing.

Aroma – Hops are somewhat aromatic and lemony, with a sweet, biscuity malt base.

Taste – The hop profile includes pine, pineapple, and citrus, with a slight bitterness appropriate for the style. The malt backbone is noticeably milder than the regular Double IPA, as one might expect given the color. The aftertaste is slightly bitter and biscuity, and it fades rapidly.

Mouthfeel – Medium-bodied, with a dry finish and good carbonation.

Drinkability – For a Double IPA, it’s above average.

Verdict – Hop Stoopid is a delicious beer, but in comparison to other Double IPAs, it’s a tad boring. Maybe it’s the way the beer is hopped. Perhaps it’s the paler malt base, or it’s a combo of both. But in the end, this comes off as a slightly less bitter and easier to drink version of the Double IPA. Also, kudos on the price tag.

Conclusion

Some people get intoxicated after just one beer, while others enjoy it for the rest of their lives. Keep in mind that excessive inebriation can develop into alcoholism, which has serious health effects.

Although 8% ABV may be either low or too high for you, you should always drink all ABV in moderation.