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Erudito asked last night "what is the different between stout and porter?" . I wasn't sure but I thought stout was the heavier of the two.
I’ve since read a bit of stuff. I conclude that Stout is darker than Porter. Different sub styles of both have varying levels of sweetness, bitterness and alcohol %. On average, Stout is “bigger” than Porter, but not necessarily in all those measures. Below are extracts from the BJCP* style guidelines. Text in brackets are my comments. There are a couple of interesting historical notes. Having written this to try to answer the question, I thought I'd post here for general interest and possible comment.
Porter
Brown Porter(or London Porter)
Overall Impression: A fairly substantial English dark ale with restrained roasty characteristics. (I find this style too sweet)
History: Originating in England, porter evolved from a blend of beers or gyles known as “Entire.” (Hey, this is curious!) A precursor to stout. Said to have been favoured by porters and other physical labourers
Robust Porter
Overall Impression: A substantial, malty dark ale with a complex and flavorful roasty character.
(this one is drier, and the style Renzo was drinking last night- of my brewing)
Baltic Porter
Overall Impression: A Baltic Porter often has the malt flavors reminiscent of an English brown porter and the restrained roast of a schwarzbier, but with a higher OG and alcohol content than either. Very complex, with multi-layered flavors.
Stout
Dry stout
Overall Impression: A very dark, roasty, bitter, creamy ale.
(eg: Guiness)
History: The style evolved from attempts to capitalize on the success of London porters, but originally reflected a fuller, creamier, more “stout” body and strength. When a brewery offered a stout and a porter, the stout was always the stronger beer -it was originally called a “Stout Porter”. Modern versions are brewed from a lower OG and no longer reflect a higher strength than porters
Sweet Stout
Overall Impression: A very dark, sweet, full-bodied, slightly roasty ale. Often tastes like sweetened espresso
Outmeal Stout
Overall Impression: A very dark, full-bodied, roasty, malty ale with a complementary oatmeal flavor.
Foreign Extra Stout
Overall Impression: A very dark, moderately strong, roasty ale. Tropical varieties can be quite sweet, while export versions can be drier and fairly robust.
Russian Imperial Stout
Overall Impression: An intensely flavored, big, dark ale. Roasty, fruity, and bittersweet, with a noticeable alcohol presence. Dark fruit flavors meld with roasty, burnt, or almost tar-like sensations. Like a black barleywine with every dimension of flavor coming into play.
*Beer Judge Certification Programme
I’ve since read a bit of stuff. I conclude that Stout is darker than Porter. Different sub styles of both have varying levels of sweetness, bitterness and alcohol %. On average, Stout is “bigger” than Porter, but not necessarily in all those measures. Below are extracts from the BJCP* style guidelines. Text in brackets are my comments. There are a couple of interesting historical notes. Having written this to try to answer the question, I thought I'd post here for general interest and possible comment.
Porter
Brown Porter(or London Porter)
Overall Impression: A fairly substantial English dark ale with restrained roasty characteristics. (I find this style too sweet)
History: Originating in England, porter evolved from a blend of beers or gyles known as “Entire.” (Hey, this is curious!) A precursor to stout. Said to have been favoured by porters and other physical labourers
Robust Porter
Overall Impression: A substantial, malty dark ale with a complex and flavorful roasty character.
(this one is drier, and the style Renzo was drinking last night- of my brewing)
Baltic Porter
Overall Impression: A Baltic Porter often has the malt flavors reminiscent of an English brown porter and the restrained roast of a schwarzbier, but with a higher OG and alcohol content than either. Very complex, with multi-layered flavors.
Stout
Dry stout
Overall Impression: A very dark, roasty, bitter, creamy ale.
(eg: Guiness)
History: The style evolved from attempts to capitalize on the success of London porters, but originally reflected a fuller, creamier, more “stout” body and strength. When a brewery offered a stout and a porter, the stout was always the stronger beer -it was originally called a “Stout Porter”. Modern versions are brewed from a lower OG and no longer reflect a higher strength than porters
Sweet Stout
Overall Impression: A very dark, sweet, full-bodied, slightly roasty ale. Often tastes like sweetened espresso
Outmeal Stout
Overall Impression: A very dark, full-bodied, roasty, malty ale with a complementary oatmeal flavor.
Foreign Extra Stout
Overall Impression: A very dark, moderately strong, roasty ale. Tropical varieties can be quite sweet, while export versions can be drier and fairly robust.
Russian Imperial Stout
Overall Impression: An intensely flavored, big, dark ale. Roasty, fruity, and bittersweet, with a noticeable alcohol presence. Dark fruit flavors meld with roasty, burnt, or almost tar-like sensations. Like a black barleywine with every dimension of flavor coming into play.
*Beer Judge Certification Programme
