Description: This is an imperial stout. It's thick, and very strong, but you won't notice that part. The dominant flavors are coffee and chocolate, but there are also hints of caramel, creaminess, smokiness, and even a little bitterness to balance it out.

What you should know: My palate isn't refined enough to do this beer justice. A ton of complex flavors in there.

Cons: It's hard to find, and at 12% ABV, you can't drink too many of these and remember it. That's a shame, because you'll want to keep drinking them.

Recommendations: Find this, make sure you don't need to drive anywhere, and start drinking.

I bought this recently because this is the first time I've ever seen a 6-pack with 6 different beers in it. It started out pretty good with the Black Lager, and the Bock is obviously pretty good, but the other 4 were disappointing. Good work making a 6-pack with 6 different beers, but I wouldn't recommend this one. Maybe next year's version will be better.

I thought this was really cool, but I am a simple man. Bonus points for being the first can variety pack I've ever seen. I had a variety of opinions on the beers, mostly good, but hey, I drank them all in one day, so that is something.

This is just an outstanding label, and looks even cooler on the can. My personal favorite is the guy who I assume is the captain, with that giant gut hanging over and the sweater on top, just awesome.

Description: This was a fairly heavy beer, but it won't stop you from eating dinner. It has some great chocolate flavor, but you still get a hint of an IPA in there without it being very bitter. 

What you should know: I drank this at a beer festival, and it was the best one I had. It sparked a debate between beersuds contributors as to whether this was better, or Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout. A consensus was not reached. That is a very good sign for any beer. 

Cons: This is a super-limited beer. It is only available on tap, so it doesn't have a label, and I couldn't even find a reliable picture of it (even on Lagunitas' website). It's not like I'm snapping pictures at the beer festival of the piece of paper that says what it is.

Recommendations: If you're lucky enough find a bar that serves it, drink one. Just one, because it's 10.19%. Okay, maybe 2.

The NFL Playoffs are on, and I've got a 12 pack of various Harpoon IPA's. Things could get interesting. Here.

The beer is not that great, but if you need help putting it down just stare at the lobster that looks way too much like Mr. Krabs. Before you know it, the beer will be gone. My only question: can the lobster actually use the pitchfork, or will the claws break it in half? 

Description: This beer is obviously dark, but don't let that fool you. It has the flavors of a porter or a stout, but the dominant flavors are IPA. It's pretty damn strong too, so that is an added bonus.

What you should know: It goes down pretty quickly, plus high alcohol, so this will put you on your ass fast.

Cons: Thinking...

Recommendations: I would get one of these to start your night. Who knows what's going to happen after that.

If Josh is going to do a top-10, I might as well throw mine on here also, and I expect quite a few repeats, but I'm getting to this one first.

Part of the reason why this is so high on my list is that it is widely available at bars. If you order one of these, the bartender immediately knows that you are a lover of good beer. It has some of the best flavors that hops can provide, and it isn't too bitter either. It is a perfect gateway beer into the world of IPA's.