Porter & Stout Beer

Porter is probably one of the most famous beer styles worldwide. Dark malts give the Porter its characteristic roasted and aromatic taste. This beer combines intense aromas of coffee, cocoa, sweet and bitter chocolate or rye bread.

From Porter to Stout and back

The name "Porter" comes from the first group of customers in the early 18th century, with whom Porter beers became very popular: the porters on the streets and in the ports of London, known as "Porter". The use of many dark malts made porter beers an adequate source of calories for the workers to compensate for the hard physical work. Porter also had a longer shelf life and a more stable taste due to an increased hop content. 
The name "Stout" is closely linked to the origin of the porter. A "Stout Porter" is simply a strong porter - and "Stout" is therefore a synonym for "strong". Only later did the Stout beer style develop from this connection. 
Porter is still an incredibly popular beer style today. By the middle of the 19th century it was already available on six continents, either as an export product or as locally brewed beer. Porter is an integral part of what English and Irish pubs offer. Porter and Stout can coexist without any problems. And are used synonymously as style names in everyday life.

And what does Porter taste like?

The focus is on roasted aromatic malt flavors. Very common are notes of coffee, cocoa or dark chocolate. The body can vary depending on the alcohol content. Classic is a slight to distinct bitterness in the finish. Some breweries additionally brew porter with lactose or vanilla to give the beer a creamy and soft mouthfeel. 
Porter are also particularly suitable for adding coffee, cocoa or chocolate. Porter with winter spices are also common, especially cinnamon or cardamom. In addition, berries or fruits are also found as ingredients in these beers. They expand the taste world of the porter and perfectly complement the dark malt flavor.
To intensify these aromas and flavors, many breweries store (Imperial) Porter in barrels. Bourbon, sherry or rum barrels are very common. Depending on the barrel, the characteristics of the respective beer change. 

The Estonian brewery Põhjala is considered one of the breweries in Europe specializing in strong porter. Its core range porter Must Kuld is a Baltic Porter brewed with lactose (i.e. in contrast to the classic porter it is fermented with bottom-fermented yeast) and is already a classic in the field. 
Besides you can find not only porter of the Estonian brewery at Beyond Beer, but also other beers of this style in our offer. Let us surprise you with the variety of this beer style!

And what exactly is a stout?

Dark and roasted aromatic: the stout is an essential beer style, not only in the craft beer world. It serves as the basis for many beer styles based on the Stout. And it's a great way to combine it with ingredients like coffee, cocoa or spices.
A Stout is a beer brewed with top-fermented yeast. Characteristic for these beers is their dark brown to deep black color. This results from the use of various dark roasted malts. The alcohol content of a Stout can vary - from very little alcohol around 3% to very strong Imperial Stouts up to 20% alcohol, everything is possible. The flavors of the roasted malt range from rye bread, dark caramel, dark chocolate and cocoa to coffee or burnt toast. Depending on the combination with ingredients like vanilla or lactose, stouts can also be sweet and creamy.

A short history of Stouts

The origin of the stout is closely related to the Porter beer style. Porter is also a dark beer style. Widespread in England from the 17th century onwards, porter was brewed in different alcohol strengths. Stronger porter were therefore called "Stout Porter". Originally, "Stout" was therefore only a synonym for "strong". In the course of time, the name "Stout Porter" was shortened and only "Stout" remained. 
Especially in Ireland, the Stout beer style is connected to the Guinness Brewery, which has been brewing Stout in Dublin since the 18th century. Due to its higher alcohol content, Stout was exported more often than Porter, among others to Scandinavia, Russia or overseas. Today it is impossible to imagine pub culture worldwide without it. Stout and Porter as beer styles have come very close today and are basically hardly distinguishable. Also the original 
In addition to the classic Stout, various variations of the beer style developed:

• Oatmeal Stout (brewed with an oat content)
• Oyster Stout (originally brewed with oyster shells)
• Milk or Sweet Stout (brewed with the addition of lactose)
• Dry Stout (the Irish interpretation of a classic stout, unlike the Milk Stout not sweet but dry in the finish)
• Coffee Stout (produced either by adding coffee powder or beans; or by roasting the brewed malt more intensively and thus giving it a coffee aroma)

Delicious and varied

Today's variety of offered stouts is enormous and hard to overlook. Especially popular are Imperial Stout or Pastry Stout. However, many breweries limit themselves to a modern interpretation of the classic stouts. Best example: Magic Rocks Dark Arts. There are also non-alcoholic stouts, such as the Road Runner by Kehrwieder from Hamburg. 
Stouts can be combined especially well with desserts. Due to the intensive malt aroma, they go well with ice cream or sorbets, also with berries or tropical fruits. But Stouts can also be paired with hearty dishes with dark sauces. A classic Stout is also an excellent accompaniment to an American-inspired BBQ. 
In addition to classic stouts, we at Beyond Beer also have a large selection of pastry or imperial stouts on offer. Just click through the articles - there is something for every taste!