9 dark Colorado beers to drink in the winter

The days are darker earlier, and so are the beers. From black lagers to stouts, the roasty goodness fits the season and offers festive flavors of caramel, maple syrup, molasses and baked bread.

• Here are our picks for what to drink now:

Epic Brewing's Naked Baptist: The Big Bad Baptist stout series goes bigger each year. But this edition dials back to the basics. No added coffee, fruit or coconut. The whiskey barrel flavor shines through in delicious simplicity.

Copper Kettle's Dark Samba: The bourbon-barrel aged imperial milk stout tastes like it's spiced with cinnamon, but the bold flavor comes from aging the beer on Brazilian Amburana wood. It's mind-blowing and thankfully on the lighter side with 8% ABV.

Cerveceria Colorado's Churro Stout: The beer is made with actual churros and embodies the dessert without being too sweet. The cinnamon and vanilla kick is just the right touch.

Wild Provisions Dark Lager 11°P: This Boulder-based spinoff of 4Noses Brewing focuses on classic lagers, and this Czech-style dark edition is elegantly subtle and lower in alcohol, making it a go-to for all occasions.

Great Divide's Big Yeti: The most under-appreciated version of this famous stout series. Originally brewed for the brewery's 25th anniversary in 2019, the beer's bolder, bigger mouthfeel and chocolate flavors make it a great sipper.

Sanitas Brewing's Black IPA: The combination of dark malts and citrus hops is classic, and the style is making a little comeback on beer shelves. Start with one of the mainstays from Sanitas Brewing in Boulder. The resinous hop notes blend nicely with the chocolate malt flavors.

Wynkoop's B3K Schwarzbier: This black lager's dark color belies its delicate flavors and easy-drinking nature. The roasted malts add just enough flavor without overpowering this former Great American Beer Festival gold medal winner.

Phantom Canyon's Oak-Aged Barleywine: The Colorado Springs brewpub hits all the right notes of this barleywine without becoming overpowering. You taste vanilla, maple syrup and brown sugar, and it's balanced by the 12.5% ABV booziness.

Left Hand Brewing's Peanut Butter Nitro Milk Stout: The newer nitro stouts from Left Hand — from the Black Forest to the Peanut Butter — are all good. But there's something so decadent about the silkiness of the peanut butter version that makes it special.