[jaftak22]

The first thing that popped into my head when I read through it was, beer's made with care and amazing ingredients. In fact these beers are the ones that represent the finest of the category. It would most definitely be a beer that blows me away. So a friend and I opened a bottle of Firestone Walkers 18 over the holidays and I must say, I was really impressed. This beer was very complex and rich and ironically at $30 for the bomber, I felt like I was drinking a classy beer.

[reverseapachemaster]

I suppose it depends on what area of Europe you want to identify and the time period. Many parts of Europe had royal breweries and beers made for the upper class.

In England there was a long history of different names for what can generally be described as barleywine that descended from the best made gruits, which were themselves very malty and high ABV. The beers that arose from this tradition carried names like October Ale, Audit Ale, etc. They would have been aged in barrels and were sometimes aged for years (I seem to recall reading they were at times aged up to ten years) but they likely would not have been aged in former liquor barrels, at least not intentionally. These were special beers brewed for special occasions and generally for the wealthy, royalty, the Church and other wealthy institutions.

[BrewingRover]

The times I've seen British guys in suits in pubs, they've been drinking Stella 

[Wort-H.O.G.]

all my time in europe, and when i was deployed with Brits, more often then not they were drinking Becks....and guess what-that's German!

[narvin]

Now this is class!

National upped their game with the release of French 76, "The Champagne of Malt Liquors!".



http://www.taverntrove.com/items/French-76-Malt-Liquor-Bottles-Paper-Label-National-Brewing-Company_34531.php

[S. cerevisiae]

Bohemian Pilsner

[HoosierBrew]

Now this is class!

Off topic, but this is gold.  The slogan really makes it.

[dmtaylor]

The times I've seen British guys in suits in pubs, they've been drinking Stella 

Nothing wrong with that IMO, Stella is a very tasty beer.

[pete b]

The times I've seen British guys in suits in pubs, they've been drinking Stella 

Nothing wrong with that IMO, Stella is a very tasty beer.

+1 Along with Sam Adams, Stella has many times saved the day at a place with a small beer list.

[erockrph]

I keep saying I'm going to brew a saffron & truffle beer, but I haven't gotten around to bankrupting myself brewing it. That's about as classy as seasonings get.

[beersk]

I think classy is a crystal clear helles or German pils. I was also thinking something like St. Bernardus ABT 12 or Rochefort 10 in a chalice.

[HoosierBrew]

St. Bernardus ABT 12 or Rochefort 10 in a chalice.

Yes !  I think of beer as sometimes amazing, but not especially 'classy' per se (with its long history as a working class drink), but that's about as close as it gets for me.

[Frankenbrew]

I was also thinking something like St. Bernardus ABT 12 or Rochefort 10 in a chalice.

+1

Yes, not only are those great beers, you have to give it to the Belgians, they know about presentation. The chalice is a classy way to serve classy beers.

[klickitat jim]

All great suggestions guys, but how many of those fit the OPs requirements? Dark or black, british, with seasonings, and scotch or rum in it...

[HoosierBrew]

All great suggestions guys, but how many of those fit the OPs requirements? Dark or black, british, with seasonings, and scotch or rum in it...

Good point.  One of pumpkin stouts that gets posted here with a shot of Glenlivet might hit all the notes.  Just not for me.