Home > RateBeer Archives > Styles & Seasonals

Beer Styles - Stouts

Styles & Seasonals June 23, 2005      
Written by Oakes


Richmond, CANADA -

Stout/Dry Stout



Stout and porter were once, and may very well be once again, the same style. Arthur Guinness started an ale brewery in Dublin and soon began to brew porter as well. This became very popular, and soon the ales were phased out. From there, Guinness brewed multiple versions of porter – including one dubbed Extra Stout Porter. The word Stout was used in conjunction with many types of beers at the time, denoting strength. Pale Stout was not uncommon back then. Over time, the word porter was dropped from the name and we were left with Guinness Extra Stout, a name still famous today. Guinness Porter actually continued until the 1970s, by which time it was strictly a Belfast local beer. They also began exporting very early in their history, not just to England but also to English colonies around the world. This led to the Foreign Stout style.



Like all dark beer styles, stout suffered greatly at the hands of pale lager in the 20th century. A point came where each of the stout styles existed as only a handful of brands. Dry Stout, from Ireland, was embodied by Guinness, Beamish and Murphy’s. This style of stout still exists, but the term Stout today is more of a category than a style.



A sound case could be made for the existence of a separate Dry Stout category, but there is in my view a blurring of the lines sufficient enough to include these in the general Stout category. This is due in no small measure to the fact that Dry Stout is based only on three beers, all of whom share many similar characteristics. What I mean is, it seems to me that Dry Stout was a style that was more narrowly-defined than it needed to be, simply because there were only three of them. So as more examples come into play, the notion that Dry Stout must taste like one of the big three seems anachronistic to me, especially when you consider how the draught versions of those beers have had their true flavour profile altered at serving by way of nitrogen dispensation. All session stouts that are not of the sweet or oatmeal types should be dry but I feel they do not necessarily have to be “Irish”.



Stouts are black or near black, and should have a dark brown head. There is nothing etched in stone that says this must be the product of nitrogen, but it certainly seems that way sometimes. The body should be moderate to full. Flavour and aroma should be roasty and bitter, with coffee, toast and other dark malt notes as well. Hop character is usually limited to bitterness, which ranges from 30-50 IBUs, but some stouts will have a little complementary hop flavour or aroma.



Most popular examples: Guinness Draught (Ireland), Murphy’s (Ireland), Guinness Extra Stout (Ireland/England/Canada), Beamish Irish Stout (Ireland), Rogue Shakespeare Stout (USA)




Some of my favourites: St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout (Canada), John Shippey’s Black Out Stout (Canada), Burton Bridge Bramble Stout (England), Plevnan Stout (Finland), O’Hanlon’s Port Stout (England)



Colour: 4.25 – 5

Flavour: 2 – 4.25

Sweetness: 1 – 3.25



Sweet Stout



As stout is essentially a bitter, dry style, a separate class for the sweeter forms of stout has emerged. There are a few of these, but the primary two are milk stout and oatmeal stout. There are other stouts that are sweet, but do not fall specifically into either of these subclasses.



Milk stout is typically a low-gravity stout, under 5% abv and occasionally down in the 3% range, made with the addition of lactose. Born at the beginning of the 20th century as a healthy innovation (stout was already promoted as a healthy drink at the time), the style was almost lost entirely as the British government only a few decades later banned the use of lactose in stout, not wishing the beer to seem “healthy”. It was illegal to use the term “milk” in the name or promotion. However, examples remained in English-influenced areas outside of the UK, such as Jersey and Malta. Homebrewers in the US took a mild interest in the style, and a few commercial examples have reappeared as well. It remains, though, a minor curiosity. Milk stouts are sweet, with smooth bodies and dark malt flavours. They should have some roast, but not enough to contribute significant bitterness. Hop character should be nonexistent and bitterness low. Milk stout is not entirely unlike Lao or Vietnamese coffee, albeit less milkly.



Oatmeal is a pain for brewers to work with, but it does have its benefits in beer. It adds smoothness and body, and a hint of flavour that many drinkers find desirable. It can be used in many styles, but is most commonly applied to stout, a practice that’s been ongoing for around a hundred years or so, for the same promotional reasons as milk stout. While it is true that a stout with oatmeal is an Oatmeal Stout, not all Oatmeal Stouts are Sweet Stouts. The best of them, St. Ambroise, is far too roasty and hoppy to be considered “sweet”. But traditionally oatmeal stouts were sweet. They are, as all stouts, black or near black. They typically range from 4-6% abv, though some American brewers have dabbled in “Imperial Oatmeal Stout”. Hop character should be low, but would typically be a little higher than a sweet stout. The same can be said for roast character.



Other sweet stouts have no particular designation, but fall into the category as a result of their lack of dryness. Their character can range, but should always be on the sweet side of things.



Most popular examples: Samuel Smith’s Oatmeal Stout (England), Young’s Chocolate Stout (England), Samuel Adams Cream Stout (USA), Young’s Oatmeal Stout (England), Mackeson XXX Stout (USA)



Some of my favourites: Samuel Smith Oatmeal Stout (England), Elysian Dragonstooth Stout (USA), Heartland Farmer Jon’s Oatmeal Stout (USA), Cooperstown Strike Out Stout (USA), Lost Coast 8 Ball Stout (USA)



Colour: 4.25 – 5

Flavour: 1.75 – 4

Sweetness: 3 – 4.25



Foreign Stout



This style is one of the least well-known, in no small part due to the fact that it is not widely sold in the developed world, aside from Australia. Its origins are not unlike those of IPA, in that it was originally an extra-strong, highly hopped version of stout built especially for export. I don’t believe the difference between foreign and regular stout was nearly as great originally as it is today, though. Everyday Guinness before WWI was brewed from a gravity of 1074. Guinness was ambitious in expanding to export markets though they certainly weren’t the only ones. Porter was sent to India in the early 18th century.



Guinness still brews their Foreign Extra in Ireland for export to numerous countries, but also has licensed the production worldwide. The FES versions are often tailored to local tastes, resulting in many different beers, all operating under the name Guinness Foreign Extra Stout. Local brewers in tropical countries began to brew the style. Many of these are sweeter than FES, reflecting the mass taste, but this does not mean that they lack complexity or interest. Nigeria in particular has emerged as a major stout nation, though famous examples of the style hail from all over – Jamaica, Singapore, Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa. While Pale Lager is available everywhere, its characteristics were honed in a handful of Western breweries. Foreign Stout, however, has many regional accents and an experienced drinker of the style will be able to tell an Australian one from a Caribbean one fairly easily. In this way, Foreign Stout is the only style that can claim to belong to the entire world.



Foreign stouts range from medium brown to jet black. They are big beers – from 6% to 8% typically, with a couple of 5% examples throw in. Roastiness ranges from low to quite high, as does hop character. There should always be plenty of malt, and body, manifesting itself in typical dark malt flavours like chocolate, coffee, toast and nuts. Some examples also display some acidic character, which is a traditional facet of the style, though one that is seldom adhered to. Body ranges from medium to heavy, as does intensity. In some areas, sugary taste is common.



Most popular examples: Cooper’s Best Extra Stout (Australia), Lion Stout (Sri Lanka), Dragon Stout (Jamaica), Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (Ireland), Carlton Sheaf Stout (Australia)



Some of my favourites: Singaporean Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (Singapore), Nigerian Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (Nigeria), Lion Stout (Sri Lanka), Angkor Extra Stout (Cambodia), Chinese Guinness Foreign Extra Stout (China)



Colour: 4 – 5

Flavour: 2 – 4.25

Sweetness: 2 – 4.25



Imperial Stout



The granddaddy of stouts, Imperial Stout is one of the most revered styles of beer in the world. Indeed, it is a very easy style to love. As with Gueuze, even mid-range Imperial Stouts rank amongst the world’s greatest brews.



The style has dual nationality. Imperial stouts were originally brewed in England for the imperial courts of St. Petersburg. When tsarist rule came to an end in Russia, the trade died out. This trade left a taste for the style in the area and this eventually manifested itself as Baltic Porter. Imperial Stout, however, almost died. Courage Imperial Russian Stout was the sole surviving example of the style, and this was only made every few years or so. Then, in the 80s, US importer Merchant du Vin convinced the Samuel Smith Brewery, one of their clients, to make an Imperial Stout and ship it to the States. The rest, as they say, is history.



Imperials range from almost black to pitch in colour. They have massive flavour and aroma profiles. Dark malts, dark fruits, roast, a little bit of hop, massive bitterness and ultra thick bodies are all hallmarks. Alcohol taste will probably show through a bit as well, given that the strength ranges from 8% to over 12%. Imperial stouts age very well, for ten to twenty years, though three to five is often the peak.



Most popular examples: North Coast Old Rasputin (USA), Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout (England), Victory Storm King (USA), Stone Imperial Russian Stout (USA), Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout (USA)



Some of my favourites: North Coast Old Rasputin (USA), Three Floyds Dark Lord (USA), Courage Imperial Russian Stout (England), Bell’s Expedition Stout (USA), Harvey’s Imperial Extra Double Stout (England)



Colour: 4.5 – 5

Flavour: 4 – 5

Sweetness: 1 – 3.5

Comments

No comments added yet

You must be logged in to post comments

Anyone can submit an article to RateBeer. Send your edited, HTML formatted article to our Editor-In-Chief.