There’s a reason sayings exist, because they’re true! Once I turned myself onto (that’s what she said?) the darker side of beer, there was no going back. I love a lot of beer and I embrace all styles, but my heart lies with porters and stouts. How could you not enjoy chocolate and coffee flavored beers?
Despite separate names, Porters and Stouts are basically the same. They’re the identical twins of beer. They look the same yet have subtle personality differences. But they’re not creepy like those twins in The Shining. Instead, they’re delicious! Porters received their name due to their popularity among river porters in London during the 18th century. Porters are made from dark roasted malts, but flavors vary from beer to beer. Stronger versions used to be distinguished by Strong Porter, Extra Porter, Double Porter, and Stout Porter. Porter was eventually dropped from Stout Porter and most will argue that Stouts are stronger than Porters. But the only ones arguing are true beer geeks.
Porters range from 5-9% ABV and typically have chocolate and coffee notes added. There are 3 sub-styles. Brown Porters are mild, low in bitterness, and have chocolate, nutty, and toffee flavors but always shy away from burnt ash flavors. Robust Porters on the other hand will have burnt flavors mixed in. They can be bitter or not and are usually higher in ABV. Finally, Baltic Porters are the most complex and higher in ABV. Despite being an ale, they are often brewed with lager yeast and can have flavors of dried fruit, licorice, coffee, and spicy hops.
Stouts have a broad range –from silky smooth chocolate to intense and bitter. They benefit greatly from a creamy mouthfeel and dense head which is why they’re often found on nitrogen taps. Guinness is a stout but despite it’s dark color, it’s lighter than most Pale Ales. (Remember my lesson in beer equality!) Dry Stouts, like Guinness, are dark in color with strong coffee, toffee, and sometimes bitter flavors. Milk Stouts are low in bitterness, high on sweetness, and have a good dose of chocolate and coffee. One of my favorite sub-styles is Oatmeal Stout. Yes oats are added to the mash and yes you can drink it for breakfast…if you’re a booze-hound.
I saved the best for last – Chocolate Stouts! Whoever realized mixing beer and chocolate together was a genius. Some brewers will add actual chocolate to the malt for an extra chocolaty flavor. Drink these after a meal for dessert, but if you’re like me, you don’t need a reason to indulge. My favorite Chocolate Stout? So far Young’s Double Chocolate Stout.
The moral of this post? Everything is better on the dark side. If you’ve always wished you could get drunk off coffee or chocolate, order a Porter or Stout.
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