Written By: The Gnarly Gnome
Photos: Provided<\/p>\n
11\/21\/2025<\/p>\n I know why you clicked, and we\u2019ll just get it out of the way. Is Braxton\u2019s Dark Charge Chili Spice Imperial Stout as incredible as you want it to be? Yeah\u2026 yeah it is. We\u2019ll get to that, though. Before diving into individual variants, let\u2019s talk about what Dark Charge is, because we have to assume that there are folks here who might not know.<\/p>\n We used to line up for beer, I swear. Beer geeks would get up early, hang out in a long line around the block, make breakfast together, drink some beers, and then buy whatever the latest release from that brewery was. This was a weird, beautiful time for beer geeks, and Dark Charge day is a bit of a throwback to that experience.<\/p>\n No, people aren\u2019t lining up in person to purchase their bottles of Dark Charge anymore. These days, we get online, preorder, and pick up at our own convenience\u2026 but the day? The day is very much about that same spirit of those \u201cline shares\u201d. There\u2019s incredible beer on tap all around, great food, excellent music\u2026 but the gathering of people who are just as geeky about the beer, and the communal sharing of that beer experience? That\u2019s what Dark Charge is all about.<\/p>\n The very first Winter Block Party (now called Dark Charge Day) took place back in 2015 where they released four Imperial Stouts to eagerly waiting fans. Since that day, there have been (if my math is right) somewhere around 60 DIFFERENT releases. That\u2019s a whole bunch of Dark Charge over the years\u2026 and Braxton uses the event to put some of their most innovative and creative projects out to their fans.<\/p>\n In short\u2026 this release is a great example of why we fell in love with craft beer years ago.<\/p>\n I\u2019m going to skip to the point here \u2013 there\u2019s some great beers on this release list!<\/p>\n This variant shouldn\u2019t be strange to you; it\u2019s been released every year, though it\u2019s certainly evolved over time. This year is a blend of multiple years of Dark Charge, but it differs in that it\u2019s MOSTLY older Dark Charge. Braxton co-owner Evan Rouse didn\u2019t feel the new Dark Charge was quite what he wanted for the base blend, so he leaned heavily on beers from multiple past years in barrels. This year\u2019s blend contains beer from 2025, 2023, 2022 and even all the way back to 2021.<\/p>\n This Imperial stout blends Dark Charge with a mixture of Cacao Nibs, Peanut Butter and Vanilla to create a beer that mimics MY favorite holiday treat\u2026 the Buckeye. My Grandma made the BEST Buckeyes that exist in the universe and while I don\u2019t think she would have liked the beer, I ancipate that I definitely will.<\/p>\n This one sounded like the process in crafting the recipe was probably a lot of fun\u2026 it involved eating a LOT of cookies to get things perfect. The end result? Imperial Stout with Vanilla, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves, Ginger and Cardamom that you\u2019ll LOVE. It was on tap for \u2018Builder\u2019s Preview Night\u2019 and holy smokes\u2026 yes.<\/p>\n While I haven\u2019t gotten the chance to try it yet \u2013 This might be the one I\u2019m most excited for (that I HAVEN\u2019T tried) They used a combination of caramelized sugar and vanilla to craft the perfect boozy dessert beer \u2013 which I think is a role that Dark Charge settles into very, very nicely.<\/p>\n Every year, Braxton creates a box of several beers that while definitely individual releases, all follow some kind of a theme together. This year? Cobblers.<\/p>\n Each one of them takes fresh fruit flavors and smacks them over the head with the big, bold booziness of Dark Charge. 13.4% Imperial Stout for dessert? This is the natural progression of where mankind has been trying to take cobbler, and I\u2019m proud that Braxton is carrying that torch.<\/p>\n This is the crown jewel of this year\u2019s release, if you ask me. Partnering up with Skyline Chili, Braxton crafted a beer that goes perfectly with their Cincinnati-style chili. It pairs up perfectly because this was also one of the beers that we did<\/em> get to try during their builder\u2019s preview night. I\u2019ll say this about the beer: if you enjoyed the way the Graeter\u2019s Ice Cream\/Skyline collaboration used the flavor profile to do something unique \u2013 you\u2019ll love this beer. It\u2019s definitely a huge step beyond a \u201cchili beer\u201d.<\/p>\n Oh\u2026 and it comes packaged with a can of Skyline Chili \u2013 as it should.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thegnarlygnome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/DarkCharge-Cover.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nYour Brief History Of Dark Charge And Why You Should Care<\/h2>\n
About This Year\u2019s Dark Charge Variants<\/h2>\n
Dark Charge: Base<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Dark Charge: Chocolate Buckeye<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Dark Charge: Cookie Butter<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Dark Charge: Creme Brulee<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Dark Charge: The Cobbler Series<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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Dark Charge: Chili Spice<\/strong><\/h4>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/thegnarlygnome.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/DarkCharge-819x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\nThe Event<\/h2>\n