Best Vanilla Beers: 10 Ranked From Bold to Easy-Drinking

Vanilla is the one beer flavor almost everyone likes even before they try it, and it turns out to be a great match for dark, roasty beer styles. Stouts and porters already carry the toasted, slightly bitter malt notes that vanilla naturally sweetens and rounds out, which is exactly why almost every beer on this list is one or the other.

Brewers add vanilla two main ways: whole vanilla beans (or pods) steeped directly in the beer, usually during barrel aging, or vanilla extract blended in after fermentation for a lighter, cleaner touch. Whole-bean beers tend to be richer and more expensive to brew, which is part of why the biggest, boldest vanilla beers below also carry the highest price tags and the most limited availability. Below are 10 worth seeking out, ranked from the biggest and boldest down to the easiest to just grab and drink, with real ABV, brewery and rating data for each, plus a note on which ones you can get delivered through Saucey right now.

Short on time? Our top 5 vanilla beers at a glance:

Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Vanilla Stout

14.9% ABV, Imperial Pastry Stout

Prairie Vanilla Noir

13.7% ABV, Whiskey Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout

Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Vanilla Bean Stout

11.9% ABV, Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout

New Holland Dragon’s Milk

11% ABV, Bourbon Barrel-Aged Stout

Breckenridge Vanilla Porter

5.4% ABV, American Porter

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1. Goose Island Bourbon County Brand Vanilla Stout

Bourbon County is the beer that arguably kicked off the entire barrel-aged stout category in America, and the Vanilla variant takes that same base stout, aged for over a year in bourbon barrels, and rests it on whole vanilla beans afterward. The result is dense, boozy and dessert-sweet, with the vanilla rounding out the char and caramel from the barrels rather than competing with them. It holds a 4.59 average on BeerAdvocate, one of the higher scores of any beer on this list, but it is an annual, limited release, so it shows up for a few months around the holidays and then disappears until next year.

2. WeldWerks Vanilla Medianoche

Medianoche is WeldWerks’ flagship barrel-aged stout series, a rotating blend of imperial stouts aged for well over a year across multiple bourbon and whiskey barrels, and the Vanilla edition adds whole vanilla beans to that base for a smoother, creamier finish. WeldWerks has built a reputation as one of the most decorated barrel-aging programs in the country, regularly landing GABF medals, and Medianoche variants are some of their most sought-after releases. Expect small batches sold mostly through the brewery’s own release list and specialty bottle shops rather than a regular shelf presence.

Not currently listed on Saucey; check WeldWerks Brewing Co.’s own site or your local bottle shop for availability.

3. Prairie Vanilla Noir

Part of Prairie’s long-running Noir series, Vanilla Noir takes the brewery’s award-winning imperial stout base, ages it in oak whiskey barrels, and finishes it with real vanilla beans. The vanilla here plays a supporting role rather than the lead, adding a soft, creamy sweetness on top of a stout that is already thick, boozy and roasty from the barrel time. It holds a 4.27 average on Untappd across more than 23,000 ratings, a genuinely large sample size for a limited-release craft stout, and it tends to reappear in Prairie’s lineup most years around fall and winter.

Not currently listed on Saucey; check Prairie Artisan Ales’s own site or your local bottle shop for availability.

4. Boulevard Barrel-Aged Vanilla Imperial Stout

Boulevard ages a wheated imperial stout for 14 months in bourbon barrels, then rests it further on fresh Madagascar vanilla beans, a two-step process aimed at rich, creamy depth rather than a sharp vanilla hit. It is part of Boulevard’s Barrel-Aged Mix Pack program, a limited annual release sold only in that mixed pack rather than as a standalone four-pack, which makes it harder to track down outside of Missouri and neighboring states but worth seeking out if a bottle shop near you carries the mix pack.

Not currently listed on Saucey; check Boulevard Brewing Co.’s own site or your local bottle shop for availability.

5. Central Waters Bourbon Barrel Vanilla Bean Stout

Central Waters takes a decadent imperial stout and ages it in bourbon barrels for a full year before infusing it with vanilla beans, part of the brewery’s well-regarded Brewer’s Reserve barrel program. It is a small Wisconsin brewery, so distribution leans regional to the Midwest, but the beer has built a loyal following well beyond that footprint through trading and online craft beer marketplaces. Expect a thick, dessert-like body with the vanilla melding into deep caramel and bourbon notes rather than sitting on top of them.

6. Cigar City Vanilla Hazelnut Marshal Zhukov’s

Marshal Zhukov’s is Cigar City’s well-known Russian imperial stout base, and this variant steeps it with roasted hazelnuts alongside vanilla beans, giving it a nutty, praline-like character on top of the espresso and molasses notes the base beer is known for. It holds a 4.11 average on Untappd across more than 12,000 ratings. Like most Cigar City specialty releases it shows up in limited 22oz bottle drops rather than as a year-round item, so timing your search around a release window matters more than checking a regular shelf.

Not currently listed on Saucey; check Cigar City Brewing’s own site or your local bottle shop for availability.

7. New Holland Dragon’s Milk

Dragon’s Milk is one of the most widely distributed barrel-aged stouts in the country, spending three months in bourbon barrels and picking up sweet vanilla and oak notes alongside its roasted malt core of coffee and dark chocolate. With over 524,000 Untappd ratings, it is by far the most-reviewed beer on this list, and unlike most of the entries above it, it is a genuine year-round release you can find on shelves nationally rather than a seasonal chase beer. It is also worth noting the brewery is explicit that, despite the name, there is no dairy or lactose in the recipe.

8. Great Lakes Vanilla Blackout Stout

Great Lakes built this beer to mark the April 2024 total solar eclipse passing directly over Cleveland, adding a slice of vanilla to their Blackout Stout base to eclipse the palate with extra richness, as the brewery puts it. Roasted barley, chocolate and dark fruit dominate the base, and the vanilla softens the roast character into something closer to a dark chocolate dessert. It was originally a special edition tied to the eclipse but has stuck around in the brewery’s rotating lineup since, mostly distributed through the Midwest and Northeast.

Not currently listed on Saucey; check Great Lakes Brewing Co.’s own site or your local bottle shop for availability.

9. Southern Tier Creme Brulee

Part of Southern Tier’s Blackwater dessert-stout series, Creme Brulee is built to taste like the actual dessert, layering rich vanilla custard and sweet caramel over black malt and milk sugar. It carries close to 148,000 ratings on Untappd at a 3.96 average, making it one of the most broadly reviewed pastry stouts around, and its popularity has spawned a Nitro version that is worth trying separately if you can find it. It is a rotating seasonal release rather than year-round, so availability shifts by time of year and region.

Not currently listed on Saucey; check Southern Tier Brewing Company’s own site or your local bottle shop for availability.

10. Breckenridge Vanilla Porter

Breckenridge’s Vanilla Porter is the easiest-drinking beer on this list by a wide margin, an American porter built on toasted malt with vanilla and dark roast notes layered in at a much gentler dose than any of the barrel-aged stouts above. With over 479,000 Untappd ratings it has close to the same reach as Dragon’s Milk, and its low 5.4% ABV and year-round national availability make it the pick if you want to try a vanilla beer without committing to a 30-minute sipper.

FAQs

Does vanilla beer actually taste like vanilla?

It depends heavily on the brewing method. Beers aged with real whole vanilla beans, like Goose Island’s Bourbon County Vanilla Stout or Prairie Vanilla Noir, carry a deep, creamy vanilla character that reads close to vanilla extract or custard. Beers using vanilla extract added post-fermentation, common in lighter porters, give a subtler, more background hint of vanilla rather than a dominant flavor.

Why is vanilla almost always paired with stouts and porters?

The roasted, slightly bitter malt in a stout or porter provides a natural counterpoint to vanilla’s sweetness, similar to how vanilla ice cream works with dark coffee or chocolate. A pale lager or IPA base would let the vanilla clash with hop bitterness or crisp maltiness instead of complementing it, which is why almost none of the beers on this list are anything other than a stout or porter.

What is the difference between a barrel-aged vanilla stout and a regular vanilla porter?

A barrel-aged vanilla stout, like WeldWerks Vanilla Medianoche or Central Waters’ Bourbon Barrel Vanilla Bean Stout, spends months in bourbon or whiskey barrels before the vanilla is added, picking up oak, char and booze notes on top of the vanilla sweetness, and typically runs 10% ABV or higher. A vanilla porter, like Breckenridge’s, skips barrel aging entirely, stays lighter in body, and usually sits in the 5 to 6% ABV range, making it an easy, sessionable pour.

Are vanilla beers sweeter than regular stouts?

Generally yes, especially pastry stouts like Southern Tier’s Creme Brulee that are explicitly built to taste like dessert. Milk sugar, or lactose, is often added alongside the vanilla to boost sweetness and body, which is part of why these beers tend to be sipped slowly in smaller pours rather than drunk a full pint at a time.

Can I get vanilla beer delivered?

Several of the beers on this list, including Goose Island’s Bourbon County Vanilla Stout, Central Waters’ Vanilla Bean Stout, New Holland’s Dragon’s Milk and Breckenridge’s Vanilla Porter, are listed on Saucey for local delivery where available. Coverage depends on your delivery address and current stock, so check the specific listing linked above rather than assuming every beer on this list ships everywhere.

Six of these ten are barrel-aged stouts running 10% ABV or higher, which tells you most of what you need to know about how brewers get real vanilla depth into beer, time in a bourbon barrel does a lot of the work before the vanilla beans even go in. If you want a starting point, Dragon’s Milk is the easiest to find on a regular shelf, while Goose Island’s Bourbon County Vanilla Stout is the one worth planning around its limited release window for.