15 Exceptional Beers That Are Extremely Hard To Find

We are officially a beer-loving nation. The proof is in the data and drinks, with more than 6 billion gallons of beer consumed nationwide each year, easily outpacing sales of liquor and wine. Our exact consumption varies pretty significantly from state to state, with North Dakotans ranking as the biggest beer fans, averaging 45.8 gallons a year. In comparison, Utahns are relative teetotalers, drinking 20.2 gallons on average every year, less than the national average of about 28 gallons.

That much beer drinking means a lot of breweries. As of 2024, the nation boasts over 9,300 craft breweries. Anyone can head to the local store to grab a Bud or a Heineken, but some beers are really hard to find. We're not talking about old-school beers that have all but gone the way of the Dodo. We're surveying only top-quality brews that are carefully made in small batches. These gems are worth hunting down, if you can.

Pliny the Younger is a spring season medium-bodied hop beer that is only available in person at Russian River's breweries and pubs in California between late March and early April. That's a short window, but if you can make it, it will be worth it. As of August 2025, Beer Advocate gives this beer a perfect score of 100 and places it in the top 10 of 250 rated beers.

This seasonal beer changes a bit every year. The 2025 edition was hopped with the likes of amarillo, mosaic, nectaron, simcoe, and warrior, as in years past, but also included Tangier hops from Segal Ranch in Washington. These flavors give this hop notes of stone fruit — a fruit with a hard interior pit, such as peaches or plums — as well as pine, lychee, and citrus. The alcohol content (ABV) is 10.25%.

Russian River Brewing Company started off as a subdivision of Korbel Champagne Cellars in Guerneville, California, a town along the Russian River. Korbel eventually sold Russian River to its brewmaster, Vinnie Cilurzo, who now manages the breweries with his wife, Natalie. Today, the couple operates a brewery and pub in Windsor and a brewpub in Santa Rosa.

The St. Louis-based Perennial Artisan Ales — which operates both a tasting room at its brewery and a brewpub outside the city — is famous for its hard-to-find Barrel-Aged Abraxas.

An American imperial stout — which boasts the highest alcohol content of all stouts — this beer is aged for 26 to 31 months in a combination of bourbon and rye barrels with ancho chili peppers, vanilla beans, cacao nibs, and cinnamon sticks. This labor-intensive beer is made in small batches and has an ABV of 12.8%. As a side note, it also contains lactose.

Supply is limited, but demand is high, so Perennial Artisan Ales has a lottery to choose individual buyers at its tasting room. In 2025, however, it did provide a supply to the craft beer delivery service Tavour. Bottles typically don't come cheap, but it has been ranked the third-best beer by fans on Beer Advocate.

The Black Tuesday imperial stout, aged in bourbon barrels for over a year, has notes of bourbon-poached fig, crème brûlée, and burnt almond. Its ABV is no joke, at 18.9%.

Based in California, The Bruery sells plenty of high-quality beers, including fruited sour ale, Belgian-style golden ale, blonde ale, and, of course, imperial stout. However, some beers (Black Tuesday included) are reserved for its membership clubs, which start at $80 a quarter. The release of Black Tuesday takes place at a party promising unlimited pours of this sought-after brew, to which only members can purchase tickets.

In 2024, it cost a whopping $45.00 for a Blender's Choice bottle of this in-demand beer, with an ABV of 21.1%. The 2024 Black Tuesday Imperial Grand Reserve — which was ABV 23.7% — can be ordered on tap at The Bruery's tasting room in Placentia, California, but you'll again need to be a member to get your hands on a pint.

A four-pack of this American double IPA — a more hopped beer than an American IPA — can be ordered to pick up in person at The Alchemist brewery in Stowe, Vermont. The Heady Topper is an extremely in-demand beer, with a fresh hoppy taste and the aromas of dank cannabis. The Alchemist recommends that you drink it straight from the can to avoid losing out on the hoppy aroma. You may also want to drink your beers sooner rather than later, in general, as beer is perishable.

Each can of Heady Topper holds a pint with an ABV of 8%. Purchases are limited to 18 four-packs per customer. The Alchemist started as a brew pub by John and Jen Kimmich back in 2003, and after eight years of success, they started their brewery in 2011. That same year, their original Waterbury brew pub was destroyed by Hurricane Irene, but the Kimmichs have since opened a beer cafe in tribute to the erstwhile pub. Here you can find the only Heady Topper on draft. The Alchemist also stocks nice-looking tall beer koozies (which are designed to keep beers cold).

Dark Lord is a Russian imperial stout with notes of Indian sugar, coffee, and Mexican vanilla from 3 Floyds Brewing. Both the drink and the brewery have such a passionate cult following — known as the Cult of Floyds — that it launched Dark Lord Day, the only time you can get your hands on this super-limited brew.

The annual event attracts thousands every spring for the beer release party, which is accompanied by a metal show with multiple acts. Tickets at the Dark Lord Day 2025 cost $200, with each attendee receiving one bottle of Dark Lord and three bottles of its barrel-aged variants. Dark Lord Day takes place in Munster, Indiana, the home of 3 Floyds Brewery.

This Midwestern brewery was started by Nick Floyd in 1996 with a few hundred dollars, a five-barrel brew kettle, repurposed cheese fermenters, and an old cola tank. The brewery initially operated out of an auto garage, making home brews. Nearly 30 years later, 3 Floyds is widely praised as one of the best breweries in the country. With the obvious exception of the Dark Lord, its other great beers can be found in 19 states in the Midwest and East Coast, including the very popular Zombie Dust American Pale Ale.

Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout by Toppling Goliath Brewing Company is so popular with beer fans that it has made it to the top of Beer Advocate's list of the top 250 rated beers. Reviewers have praised its intense yet smooth mouthfeel, highlighting the blend of chocolate and coffee notes. Indeed, the company describes the beer as featuring flavors of espresso and maple syrup that lead into bourbon maple candy and chocolate brownies. Sounds delicious.

This Decorah, Iowa, brewery makes a bunch of highly-rated India pale ales (IPAs) and barrel-aged stouts, which are distributed in 30 states. In total, there are more than 40 beers that rotate throughout the year. It also serves beers on tap at its taproom, along with a menu that features some tasty-looking pizzas. The beloved Kentucky Brunch Brand Stout, however, can only be purchased at the annual KBBS bottle release day event.

Hill Farmstead Brewery's beers are hard to find in general, given the limited supply and distribution, but the rarest beers would be its one-off, occasional, or seasonal brews. Some of its rarest beers belong to its family of Art or Arthur brews, which are aged in oak barrels. We'd love to try the Art Plum, which, with American malted barley, Farmstead ale yeast, and organic Vermont plums, plus an ABV of 6%, sounds like the perfect beer.

A whopping 22 of Hill Farmstead's brews feature on Beer Advocate's top 250 rated beers, which is nearly a tenth of the list. Ten of Hill's beers feature in the top 100. In 2010, Shaun Hill founded Hill Farmstead Brewery on land that once housed his family's farm in Greensboro, Vermont. The family legacy is seen in many of the beers named after Hill's relatives, such as the Edward, an American pale ale inspired by his grandfather, or the Susan IPA, which takes its name from Hill's great-aunt.

Hill chooses to keep his brewery small (hence the scarce availability), selling beers mainly out of Greensboro. Customers drive hours for an opportunity to buy these top brews. Hill Farmstead Brewery does have a limited out-of-state home delivery service, but only to Oregon, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. This delivery service is irregular, so keep an eye out.

Fidens Brewing Co. was opened in late 2019 and is named after the Latin word for courageous or bold. The beers from the upstate New York brewery can be purchased out of the brewery's taproom or ordered for exclusive in-state shipping. Orders must be put in quickly, with many of its highly sought-after brews selling out. One of its best beers is the Illuminating Serenity, a New England-style double pale ale, which has a more tropical hop taste.

This sporadically available brew is brewed with citra, galaxy, and strata hops. The American citra hop is characterized by its citrus notes, while galaxy emerged in Australia and has high essential oil content with fruity flavors, and strata hops, which originated in Oregon, are also fruit-forward. It should come as no surprise that Illuminating Serenity has received praise for its variety of fruity notes from reviewers.

Troon Brewing is housed in a mid-1800s barn on the property of Double Brook Farm in Hopewell, New Jersey. This brewery mainly makes barrel-fermented ales. Its beers can only be found on tap at the Brick Farm Tavern (which is located on the same property) or at the brewery, where you can fill up a growler. Founder Alex Helms has no plans for expansion, preferring to maintain independent control over the brewing process. His brews are low in bitterness and hoppy, with Malicious Moon ranking as one of Troon Brewing's top beers.

This quadruple IPA — which is more hoppy with higher alcohol content, along with a focus on tropical flavors — is a collaboration with Brujos Brewing from Portland, Oregon, and has 12% ABV. While the ABV is high, the alcohol content is masked by the fruity hoppy notes of peach, orange, and pineapple, and even boasts a subtle hint of white wine. This beer has been praised for being wonderfully drinkable with a refined mouthfeel, ranking up there with some of the best in the eyes of some reviewers.

Founded in 2016, Foam Brewers is another top-notch independent brewery in Vermont. Located in Burlington, its tavern is typically very busy, and for good reason. It specializes in hazy IPAs and sour ales, with standout brews including the Funk on the Water 2024.

This was created in honor of the brewery's annual ale festival in 2024. A blend of one and two-year foudre-aged (a foudre is a large oak barrel), this saison — a pale-colored ale — was aged with yellow raspberries and Vermont wildflower honey. It has notes of oak (naturally, from the barrel) and key lime pie, vanilla, and Buddha's hand zest. The latter is a citrus fruit with long fingers. 

Funk on the Water 2024 is part of the brewery's House of Fermentology line. These brews are wild ales aged in oak barrels and fermented with native microflora and often regional fruit and flowers. A 500 milliliter bottle will set you back $17 with 6% ABV. If you want to take a sip of Funk on the Water 2024, you'll need to visit the Burlington brewery.

Let's leave the mainland and head to Hawaii, where the celebrated Beer Lab HI brews a rotating selection of beers that can be enjoyed at one of its three locations in Honolulu. Each of its establishments offers a variety of beers on tap for unique experiences. You can also order beer online, but only for in-person store pickup. In other words, this is a brewery that is exclusive to the island.

The beers here are made with Hawaii-grown ingredients. A popular choice is the Omakase, a hazy India pale ale made with citra and mosaic hops — mosaic is known for its blueberry and tropical aromas — which, if you happen to be in Hawaii, can be purchased as a 16-ounce four-pack for $17.50. The ABV is 6%. Make sure to check the website to see if and where Omakase is available between the three locations. 

Beer Lab HI was founded in 2015 with a commitment to experimentation. Beyond the Omakase, one popular trend-conscious beer served by Beer Lab HI is Dee's Nuts — a Dubai chocolate-inspired ale with strawberry, cocoa nibs, pistachio, and toasted kataifi (shredded phyllo dough).

Teraphobia is an imperial stout aged in barrels for 25 months, made by California's Bottle Logic Brewery in collaboration with Pennsylvania's famous Voodoo Brewing Company. This brew is fermented in Madagascar vanilla beans and house-brûléed figs, creating a bourbon and oak flavor with notes of fruit, rye spices, and dark caramel. Bottle Logic describes Teraphobia as an indulgent beverage, and it truly sounds like it to us.

While it's no guarantee, Teraphobia is typically released around Halloween. The figs pay homage to the association between monsters and figs in ancient mythology, and it is the third in a series of monster-inspired stouts produced by Bottle Logic. The Teraphobia has an impressive ABV of 14.5% and a 500 milliliter bottle to-go retails for $29.95. It is currently on tap at Bottle Logic's Anaheim brewery.

Teraphobia is a part of Bottle Logic Brewery's Stasis Project series, which features some of the world's most sought-after beers. That's even more impressive when you consider that Bottle Logic started as a hobby its founder, Wes Parker, undertook in his garage in the early 2010s.

We previously introduced you to the Pliny the Younger beer made by the famed Russian River brewer. Pliny the Elder, however, is the original beer that inspired the Younger. This double India pale ale has notes of floral, citrus, and pine and an ABV of 8%.

Pliny the Elder was initially brewed for an IPA festival in Hayward, California, back in 2000. At the time, Russian River did not make a double IPA and conducted this brew for the event. Brewing master and owner Vinnie decided to christen it Pliny the Elder after the Roman historian and philosopher, who, alongside his contemporaries, reportedly identified and potentially gave hops their botanical name of Lupus Salictarius. 

The philosopher died in the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius that destroyed Pompeii. His nephew, Pliny the Younger, related his death. Nearly 2,000 years later, the namesake beers are still around, even if they're hard to get a hold of. Pliny the Elder is almost as scarce as the Younger. The beer is on tap and sold in bottles at its California brewery and brewpub, while some beer is sent to Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Colorado. The limited batch is all part of the appeal for beer aficionados.

This imperial milk stout — a high-alcohol brew with added lactose for a creamy, milk-like texture — features notes of honey, gingerbread, and coffee, with an ABV of 9.2%. Brewed by Hardywood Park Craft Brewery in Richmond, Virginia, it is part of the company's seasonal family of gingerbread stout beers, which also includes Christmas Pancakes.

Christmas Morning is rated a world-class beer with a nearly perfect score of 96 on Beer Advocate. Hardywood beer cans can be picked up on site or shipped if they are available. Christmas Morning and other gingerbread stout beers can be hard to find, but the company has said it tries to make as much as it can during the holiday season, even if demand still outstrips supply for these sweet holiday brews. 

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery started brewing back in 2011, and at the time was one of only two craft breweries in Richmond. The brewery went on to host the signing of a bill that allowed breweries to sell to customers directly in their taprooms. Today, it operates a brewery and taproom at its original location, along with a second, larger brewery and taproom on 24 beautiful acres on the Tuckahoe Creek.

De Garde Brewing sounds French, but it's wholly Oregonian. A maker of beer and wine, de Garde chose its location on the Oregon coast for its native yeast and bacteria. Its limited-batch brews spend years fermenting and aging in oak barrels, reflecting the company's commitment to patient brewing and adapting to the seasons.

The brewery processes fruits and botanicals in the warmer months and brews in the colder months when yeast and bacteria are at their most balanced state. Its beers can be enjoyed on tap at its tasting room in Tillamook, where bottles of beer (and wine) are also available for purchase. Online orders are limited to addresses in Oregon.

One of its top beers is The Broken Truck, a wild ale aged in oak barrels. Its aroma has been described as fruity, citrusy, and tart, and its ABV is 5.5%. The Broken Truck — whose name is inspired by an incident in which a brewery truck broke down en route to a distributor – is available at the tasting room, but you'll have to check when it's available online. You may also be able to find it online via other retailers. Your best bet, however, would be to periodically check de Garde Brewing to track down your next brew.