Treehouse Brewing Company makes some of the most sought after IPAs in New England, but the mastermind behind the recipes is a dark-beer lover at heart. Treehouse produces a near-perfect milk stout called That’s What She Said. I stood in line several hours on a sub-freezing night to get a couple of growlers filled, and this beer was amazing! And don’t even get me started on Single Shot or Double Shot, both of which are stellar stouts as well.

The hits don’t stop with Treehouse. Trillium, Grey Sail of Rhode Island, Maine Beer Company and a slew of others make some equally impressive stouts and porters. When Grey Sail of Rhode Island started up, Stargazer (Imperial Stout) was a stand-out in a full lineup of offerings. It won’t sell like an IPA, but what an excellent beer! Trillium’s Pot and Kettle is an excellent porter with rich dark malt and coffee notes. Maine Beer Company produces Mean Old Tom and King Titus. Both of which I would rank in the top stouts and porters in the U.S. That’s no joke, these beers are that good. Hill Farmstead brews Everett, without a doubt the best porter I have ever tasted. Period. End of story.

So why are these beers not leading the charge? Why the so-called snub on Beer Oscar night? Well, dark beers just aren’t hip, plain and simple. No one seems to want to stand in line for two hours to get an imperial stout, porter, doppelbock, or Baltic porter. No one except my wife and my crazy friend Brian.

Fact is, some dark beers out there are worth waiting in line for. IPAs have a very short shelf-life after they are packaged, so standing in line for two hours to get a few huge IPAs may seem like a great way to spend a weekend, but I would much rather be able to cellar an ample supply of beer after investing a few hours in line and a few more in the car. I would encourage everyone to look beyond the hype, past the insane dry hopping and fanfare. Beer fans need to look for the dark side on New England. We already know what orange juice looks and tastes like.