Stout 101

Last Updated: March 18, 2024

Dark and roasty, stouts are best known by their world-famous emissary: Guinness. Of course, the Irish icon is not the only stout on the block. The category spans English stouts, broad-shouldered Imperial stouts, milk stouts, oatmeal stouts, and oyster stouts.

The style evolved out of the porter category, and its original name was “stout porter.” Historically, the difference between the two was strength: stouts are heavier and more flavorful than. That’s because most stouts involve roasted barley.

The colors of stouts ranges from coppery brown to chocolate to off-black, and ABVs span 4 to 9 percent. In addition to Guinness, popular stouts include Founders Imperial Stout, Left Hand Milk Stout, DogFish Head Bitches Brew, and Tree House Double Shot. Care to embrace the dark side? Keep scrolling for everything you need to know about stout beer.

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