![The Highest-Rated Stout In Every State (2026) [MAP]](https://letsbrew.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/11/the-highest-rated-stout-in-every-state-2026-map-featured.jpg)
TL;DR
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VinePair published a 2026 map of the highest-rated stout in each state, drawing on BeerAdvocate’s state-level top-rated beer data. Imperial stouts led in 26 states, but the report used exceptions where states lacked beers with more than 100 ratings or, in Mississippi, listed no stout.
VinePair has published its 2026 map of the highest-rated stout in each U.S. state, using listings from BeerAdvocate to identify the leading beers and styles. Its analysis says imperial stouts topped the rankings in 26 states, while the method includes exceptions for states without a stout receiving more than 100 ratings and for Mississippi, where the report found no stout.
The report says it generally considered beers with more than 100 ratings, using information from each state’s BeerAdvocate Top-Rated Beer page. It notes that these pages may show a rating cutoff different from the beer’s individual profile page. This means the map reflects the stated state-page method, rather than a single uniform count taken from every beer profile.
Where no stout in Hawaii, Nebraska, North Dakota or South Dakota reached the 100-rating threshold, VinePair selected the state’s stout with the highest number of reviews. Mississippi’s ranking lists no entry. The article does not provide the underlying rating totals or scores for every beer in the supplied table, so the map identifies its winners without allowing readers to compare the size of their rating leads.
Among the listed examples, California’s winner is Fundamental Observation, an imperial pastry stout from Bottle Logic Brewing at 14% ABV. Arizona’s is White Russian Imperial Stout from Sun Up Brewing Co., an American imperial stout listed at 9.2% ABV. The range also includes lighter beers: Kansas’ Buffalo Sweat is listed as a 5% sweet or milk stout, while Washington’s The Rusty Nail is an oatmeal stout at 13.3% ABV.
Imperial Stouts Lead the Map
The results point to a strong showing for high-strength, specialty stouts among the beers selected by the report’s rating method. VinePair says 21 of the state-leading stouts have an ABV of 12% or higher. Imperial stouts took the top spot in 26 states; within that group, imperial pastry stouts led in 16 states and American imperial stouts in 11, according to the article.
Those figures give readers a snapshot of which styles feature prominently in this particular ranking, not a measure of overall stout sales, consumption or preference across the U.S. The list is based on user ratings and a threshold that leaves some states with a different selection rule. That distinction matters when interpreting a state map as a national trend.
The ABV spread also helps explain why the map does not describe a single kind of stout. Some entries are dessert-inspired imperial beers above 14% ABV; others are more modest in strength or fall into oatmeal, foreign/export, sweet or milk stout categories. The map is most useful as a guide to highly rated labels and their variety, rather than as a direct comparison of alcohol strength or availability.
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How the State Rankings Were Built
VinePair framed the map around the rise of stout and used BeerAdvocate’s state rankings to select one top-rated stout for each state where the data supported an entry. Its method starts with a minimum of more than 100 ratings, then switches to the most-reviewed stout for Hawaii, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota because none met that cutoff. Mississippi is treated separately because the report says its ranking contained no stout.
The published table assigns a brewery, beer style and ABV to each listed winner. Examples range from Russian imperial stouts such as Alabama’s El Gordo to sweet or milk stouts such as Louisiana’s Rêve and oatmeal stouts such as Georgia’s Wake-n-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout. These descriptions and ABVs are reported by VinePair; the article’s selection method does not establish that every beer is equally available to drinkers in its state.
““We sifted through BeerAdvocate’s database of the highest-rated beers in every state to discover which stouts Americans are loving the most these days.””
— VinePair
Rating Counts and State Gaps
The supplied report does not give the rating score or total review count for each beer, so it is not possible to determine how close the state winners were to other contenders or how much data supports each result. It also does not provide a separate ranking for Mississippi, whose table entry is N/A.
VinePair says the cutoff was based on each state’s Top-Rated Beer page and that the same beer’s profile page may show a lower figure. The article does not explain the difference between those page totals or provide enough detail to independently reproduce each selection. The four states that used the most-reviewed-stout exception therefore do not follow the same threshold as the other entries.
The map is a snapshot of the data used for the 2026 report. The source material does not specify when the BeerAdvocate listings were captured or whether ratings changed after collection. It also does not establish that the selected beers are currently available in every state.
What Readers Can Check Next
Readers can consult VinePair’s original map and table for the full state-by-state list, then check BeerAdvocate’s current listings for updated ratings and review counts. Comparing the cited state-page data with individual beer profiles may help clarify the difference VinePair flags in its editorial note.
No follow-up release or update schedule is specified in the report. Any later ranking could change as users submit reviews or as the underlying state pages are updated; until then, the published map should be read as VinePair’s 2026 selection under the methods it describes.
Key Questions
How did VinePair choose each state’s highest-rated stout?
VinePair used BeerAdvocate’s state Top-Rated Beer pages and generally considered beers with more than 100 ratings. It used a different rule for four states that had no stout meeting that threshold.
Which states used an exception to the rating threshold?
For Hawaii, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, VinePair chose the stout with the most reviews because none reached 100 ratings. Mississippi had no stout listed in the report.
Which stout style appeared most often at the top?
VinePair says imperial stouts led in 26 states. Imperial pastry stouts topped 16 state rankings, while American imperial stouts topped 11, according to the report.
Does the map show the highest-selling stout in each state?
No. It shows the highest-rated selections under VinePair’s BeerAdvocate-based method. The report does not establish sales, statewide consumption or current availability.
Why might a beer’s rating count differ across BeerAdvocate pages?
VinePair says it used each state’s Top-Rated Beer page and notes that a beer’s individual profile page may show a lower rating count. The supplied report does not further explain the discrepancy.
Source: vinepair.com
