You walk into your local bar or bottle shop, craving a dark beer that is rich and comforting. You ask yourself one question: \u201cHow do I choose between porter vs. stout<\/strong>?\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s clear that both dark and strong beer styles are similar to what you\u2019re looking for, but you wonder: \u201cWhat\u2019s the main difference between the two?\u201d<\/p>\n As a rule of thumb, porters are \u201csmall,\u201d and stouts are \u201cbig.\u201d<\/p>\n Stouts are generally darker in color, more full-bodied, and higher in alcohol than porters.<\/p>\n Porters are typically sweeter than stouts, with flavor notes of chocolate and toffee imparted by roasted malts. Stouts are brewed with roasted barley, contributing to their drier finish and bittersweet chocolate and coffee flavors.<\/p>\n When comparing porters and stouts, we find many similarities and a few important differences in their history, characteristics, and brewing methods. As we guide you through this comparison, we\u2019ll touch on each of these, shedding light on the difference between these dark beer styles.<\/p>\n Porter and stout beers have a rich history dating back centuries, intertwined with the British brewing industry. They\u2019re known for their robust flavors and remain popular today.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s look at the origins of porter and stout beers below.<\/p>\n The origin of porter can be traced back to 18th-century London when it was first invented as a combination of brown, mild, and aged ales. At the time, most beers needed to mature in a barrel before being ready to consume.<\/p>\n The incorporation of aged ales in original porter blends meant that these beers were ready to drink right away. This turned out to be incredibly important in quenching the relentless thirst of the London dock workers who lined the River Thames.<\/p>\n In honor of these dock workers known around the place as \u201cporters,\u201d this beer style quickly became known as \u201cporter.\u201d<\/p>\n As the demands of London beer drinkers developed, so did the porter. The original porter blends were lower in alcohol, at around 4% alcohol by volume (ABV).<\/p>\n To satisfy workers who had endured a particularly rough day on the docks or were short on time for the pub, higher alcohol versions of porter were made available.<\/p>\n Brewers originally called Porter beers at around 5 or 6% ABV as \u201crobust porters.\u201d Porters with even higher abv or alcohol content were called \u201cstout porters\u201d or \u201cextra stout porters.\u201d<\/p>\n Over time, stronger versions of Porter were dropped from these names, and the beers became known only as \u201cstout\u201d or \u201cextra stout.\u201d<\/p>\n Guinness\u2019s 7.5% ABV \u201cForeign Extra Stout\u201d began to be exported from Dublin in the mid-19th century, solidifying the strong black beer\u2019s label of \u201cstout\u201d in all countries lucky enough to receive a shipment.<\/p>\n Today, the lines between porter and stout are blurred. Modern brewery chooses to have their liberties when creating and labeling beers of each style<\/a>.<\/p>\n As a result, there is more overlap between porters and stouts and more diversity within the two styles now. However, one thing remains relatively consistent: porters are \u201csmall,\u201d and stouts are \u201cbig.\u201d<\/p>\n The color of porter is medium brown to black. They are generally opaque, though when held up to the light, they may reveal highlights of burgundy.<\/p>\n They are medium to full-bodied and range from dry to sweet. Their aroma is a bit lighter.<\/p>\n The flavors are chocolate, toffee, nuts, and caramel. They are hopped to provide moderate bitterness<\/a> and aromas of resin, earth, fruit, and flowers.<\/p>\n ABV depends on style, though most porters are around 5-6% ABV.<\/p>\n Stouts can be dark brown but are mostly opaque black.<\/p>\n They are full-bodied and often have a drier, more bitter finish. Their aroma and flavor are defined as fresh coffee, bittersweet dark chocolate, and toast.<\/p>\n Modern sweet stout styles may be packed with additions such as fruit<\/a>, lactose, cacao nibs, and spices. They are hopped to add bitterness but rarely hopped for aroma.<\/p>\n ABV ranges from medium to high<\/a>, with today\u2019s Guinness only 4.2%ABV, though popular imperial stout styles often above 9%.<\/p>\n Many beer enthusiasts are familiar with porter and stout, dark flavor profiles. Still, only some know that the brewing methods behind these two popular top-fermented styles have many variations.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s explore the unique brewing techniques used to craft<\/a> these two below.<\/p>\n Porter recipes do not generally contain roasted or malted barley. Instead, the brewery or even brewers choose dark roasted malts<\/a> to give porters their subtle notes and color.<\/p>\n These malts include brown malt, chocolate malt, and, less commonly, black malt.<\/p>\n Stout recipes almost always contain roasted barley. Without first being malted, roasted barley gives stouts a deeper color, drier finish, and coffee-like flavor.<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/athomebrewer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/10\/Porter-vs-Stout-Featured-Image-min.png\")
<\/p>\nWhat\u2019s the Difference Between Porter and Stout?<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
History of Porter and Stout<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
Origin of Porter Beer<\/span><\/h3>\n
Origin of Stout Beer<\/span><\/h3>\n
Characteristics<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
Porter Beer Tastes and Textures<\/span><\/h3>\n
Stout Beer Tastes and Textures<\/span><\/h3>\n
Brewing Process<\/span><\/h2>\n
Porter Brewed With Roasted Malt<\/span><\/h3>\n
Stout Brewed With Roasted Barley<\/span><\/h3>\n