Wreck Alley is Karl Strauss’s big bad imperial stout, and the name is a promise. Brewed with cocoa nibs and Ethiopian coffee beans, it is built for people who want their dark beers to hit hard. We had opinions about this one, and they were not all the same.

The basics

• Brewery: Karl Strauss Brewing Co. (San Diego, CA)
• Style: Russian Imperial Stout
• ABV: 9.5%
• IBU: 45

What to expect

This pours thick and black with a dark tan head. The cocoa nibs and Ethiopian coffee do exactly what you would hope: rich layers of dark chocolate, toffee, and espresso-like roast from first sip to last. It is a full-bodied, unapologetic stout with the roast dialed up and the sweetness kept in check.

At 9.5% it carries real weight, and the bitterness (45 IBU) leans into the roast rather than fighting it. This is a winter beer, a dessert beer, a sit-by-the-fire beer. It does not try to be approachable, and that is both its strength and its limit.

Our rating

7.0/10

Rated by Sam (8), Alex (6.5), and Nick (7 and 6.5 across two tastings). The most divided score yet. Sam’s 8 says this is a proper imperial stout done right, while Alex’s 6.5 and Nick’s two middling scores say it is a lot of beer without quite enough finesse to love. The truth is probably in the middle: if you like your stouts big, roasty, and intense, Wreck Alley delivers. If you want balance and drinkability, look elsewhere on this list.