The Difference Between Stouts and Porters

Hmm... If I could manage to find a six pack, would you want to trade? Every store near me carries Great Lakes, but Edmund is becoming scarce on the shelves now....

 

While true based on history, I think it's fair to say that stouts have evolved into "their own" style, separate of porters, even if it is simply semantics. The problem is that the line between when a porter is "heavy" or "thick" or "dark" enough to be considered a stout is about as clear as mud. And so while you have some stouts that could definitely be called "stouts" and some porters that could definitely be called "porters", there is a huge area inbetween where you could use them almost interchangeably, and there would be no clear argument over which one is technically correct.

 

The only solution it seems is to drink both of these types extensively, results to follow...

 

What about Baltic Porter vs Imperial Stout?

Looks like Westbrook's second annivesary beer will be a "Baltic Imperial Stout". Mind fuck.

 

The difference is that Stout is spelled S-T-O-U-T and Porter is spelled P-O-R-T-E-R.

Don't get hung up on rigid style guidelines. There are beers you like and beers you don't.

That's it.

 

Well.. my two favorite styles are Porters and Stouts.. no wonder... I'm just going to start calling all of them Sorters and Pouts.

 

I think that's actually the classification we should be applying to the beer-geeks in this silly debate

 

Porter=Stout Lite IMO. And I don't mean that in a bad way, I love porters too! I find hefty to be the perfect word when describing a good stout haha.

 

It's whatever the brewer feels like calling it... Baltic Porter's seem to come closer to Hoppy Imperial Stouts these days. I've had Cascadian Dark Ale/Black IPA that taste like RIS', and RIS' that are nothing more than Black IPA! Thickness and that oily tongue feel is what defines a true RIS for me... again, just my own opinion. Victory Storm King is a perfect example... it's a hoppy Baltic Porter/ Cascadian Dark Ale to me... not a true Imperial Stout. Zywiec Porter tho... is more like an Old School Russian Imperial Stout to me! Thick, dark fruity, coffee and juicy!!!
Just my $.02...