The ABV Atlas

The Cyclopes · 9.0–9.9% ABV

Cyclopes labouring at a fiery mountain forge, representing intense forged strong beers from 9.0% to 9.9% ABV.

The Cyclopes

Beers from 9.0–9.9% ABV

The solitary giant at the forge. Singular, intense beers built with power.

The 9.0% to 9.9% band - the final approach to double figures. Big imperial stouts, barley wines, Belgian quads and barrel-aged strong ales live here. Intense, focused, spirit-adjacent beers made to be sipped and not shared out.

Cyclops were the giant one-eyed creatures from ancient Greek myths. There weren't many Cyclops, but there were only few master craftsmen or blacksmiths of the gods who used to make lightning bolts for Zeus and Poseidon’s trident from the fire of their volcano forge. The single eye of Cyclops was the symbol of concentration. It is a worthy protector for those beers crafted with great care.
Towering one-eyed cyclops lit by forge-fire, emblem of Hop Horizons' 9.0–9.9% ABV strong barrel-aged beer category, The Cyclopes.

Following the roaming horde of Frost Giants is a single-minded, single-eyed giant. The Cyclopes of Greek mythology were no horde of barbarians, but master-smiths, it was they who forged the bolts of lightning that Zeus hurled down from his thunderous chariot. No better symbol could be chosen for the 9.0–9.9% percent range since such powerful beverages cannot simply arise from nowhere; they are forged: meticulously created with purpose in mind, frequently matured in wooden barrels, served in small portions, and carefully observed.

The penultimate band before ten

Nine-point-something is the point when the beers are about to reach the double-digit mark, which explains their behavior. These are definitely powerful beverages — imperial stouts, barley wines, Belgian quadrupels packed with dried fruit, old ales, and the first triple I.P.A.s. The alcohol content is fully part of the process, providing the warming effect, the sweetness, and the thickness characteristic of wine, sherry, or whiskey, but definitely not refreshing.

The forge and the barrel

This is perfect for the barrel-aged beer, and the imagery associated with a smithy's forge fits perfectly. Let a large imperial stout or barley wine age in a used bourbon, rum, or wine barrel for months, and it will gain a flavor profile of vanilla, oak, coconut, and warmth of spirit, with all of its rough edges beaten out by time. This process requires patience and deliberateness on the part of the brewer; the choice of the precise amounts of oak, heat, and sweetness that will be introduced during aging and allowed to merge.

One glass, undivided

At nine percent, a beer gains control over the entire attention of the drinker. Such beers are nightcaps and contemplative drinks — those that are consumed to celebrate some event or cap off an evening. There are also many beers of such strength that are wonderful for cellaring for many years. The Cyclops is a gateway to the double digit giants beyond, which will become truly extreme.

Below is whatever Hop Horizons has logged in the 9.0–9.9% range, ranked and broken down strength by strength.

This category at a glance

683
Unique beers
653
Scored
76.6%
Mean score
78.6%
Median score
60
Styles
390
Breweries
37
Countries

Score range 17.57%–92.48%, standard deviation 9.82 (population, over 653 scored beers). Most common style: imperial IPA (113). Most represented country: England.

Top beers across 9.0–9.9%

Unique beers by exact strength

358
9.0
28
9.1
68
9.2
23
9.3
17
9.4
124
9.5
17
9.6
16
9.7
21
9.8
11
9.9

Average score by exact strength

Bars are on a 0–100% scale; a missing bar (—) means no scored beers at that strength, not a score of zero.

74.8
9.0
75.6
9.1
76.9
9.2
81.3
9.3
77.6
9.4
78.6
9.5
80.4
9.6
78.9
9.7
83.6
9.8
80.7
9.9

Style distribution

imperial IPA
113 (16.5%)
imperial stout
92 (13.5%)
tripel
74 (10.8%)
Belgian-style strong dark ale
52 (7.6%)
Belgian-style strong pale ale
39 (5.7%)
Russian imperial stout
37 (5.4%)
imperial porter
26 (3.8%)
traditional barley wine
22 (3.2%)
New World barley wine
19 (2.8%)
milk stout
18 (2.6%)
quadrupel
15 (2.2%)
European strong lager
14 (2.0%)
Other (48 styles)
162 (23.7%)

Every strength in this range

9.0% ABV

358 unique beers · average score 74.83% · 13 not yet scored

Show all 345 scored beers at 9.0%
9.1% ABV

28 unique beers · average score 75.59%

Show all 28 scored beers at 9.1%
9.2% ABV

68 unique beers · average score 76.88% · 4 not yet scored

Show all 64 scored beers at 9.2%
9.3% ABV

23 unique beers · average score 81.35%

Show all 23 scored beers at 9.3%
9.4% ABV

17 unique beers · average score 77.63%

Show all 17 scored beers at 9.4%
9.5% ABV

124 unique beers · average score 78.60% · 8 not yet scored

Classic barrel-aged imperial stout and barleywine territory... big, warming and spirit-adjacent, with oak, vanilla and dark fruit from long rest in wood. Some of the most expertly crafted beers in the collection sit right around here.
Show all 116 scored beers at 9.5%
9.6% ABV

17 unique beers · average score 80.36% · 2 not yet scored

Show all 15 scored beers at 9.6%
9.7% ABV

16 unique beers · average score 78.91% · 1 not yet scored

Show all 15 scored beers at 9.7%
9.8% ABV

21 unique beers · average score 83.64% · 2 not yet scored

Show all 19 scored beers at 9.8%
9.9% ABV

11 unique beers · average score 80.65%

Show all 11 scored beers at 9.9%
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