Porter vs Stout

Shut up. Just shut up. The search feature on here isn't that great and, regardless, sometimes people just want to drum up some conversation. If you don't want to see it or partake, don't friggin' click on it. Simple as that.

"Experts" will tell the OP to refer to really dense, boring books on brewing for the answer but very few people are going to do that. IMO, there is no correct answer because brewers don't use the same criteria/methodology and just call their beers whatever they want so you end up with porters that could be stouts and stouts that could be porters. I've always thought that a true porter is a little thinner, lighter in color, and has a coarser mouthfeel that a true stout but then someone else will chime in and say, no, it's about the malts and bitterness or something.

 

I don't think I was rude to OP, just suggesting that a search could have kept this redundancy from happening. There's no reason to be a jerk about it. I even replied to OP's question despite my minor annoyance at seeing this thread again, and yours and my proposed definitions are pretty close. Sorry to have bothered you by suggesting what others will surely be much snarkier about.

 

It's pretty subjective and there's a fair amount of ambiguity in the description of the two.

If I was blind tasting I would expect a porter to be less bitter and a bit less robust and/or hearty overall, as well as being generally below 8% ABV, which is probably more my own opinion than anything.

Stouts I generally expect to be more bitter and carry more heavy flavors and feel a bit more hearty, as well as have a higher ABV ceiling. I don't recall ever seeing a 12% porter, but that's not an uncommon % for an imperial stout.

Its sort of like the APA/IPA argument to me, albeit maybe a bit more ambiguous. There's enough similarity where the line is blurred pretty often.

 

Stouts usually have more body but they almost taste the same. I prefer stouts, porters are usually too thin for me even some of them taste really good.

 

I dunno, I've tasted a lot of brown ales that I really couldn't tell much from porter.....

 

Stouts: Thicker, usually a bit higher ABV. More flavor. Black, opaque, viscous.
Porters: Thinner, a bit lower ABV. More sessionable/drinkable. I also tend to get more of a kind of smokiness in porters more often than stouts. Usually a clear ruby black color.

 

Stout higher abv

 

Porter is going to be a bolder in your face syrupy toasted and sweet brew. Stout is more roasted malts but lighter on mouthfeel and an easier( if you like roasted malts) drinker. Confusion may prevail with the stouts like coffees, chocolates, etc where in my opinion they are really approaching porters.

 

Porter tend to be more lighter bodied, smooth drinking brews
Stout are more bold and higher in ABV, Stout tend to be more hoppie
I'm more of a Porter drinker than Stout

 

In general I think porters have an earthier taste if that helps. It's hard to describe but I know it when I taste it.

 

Actually I think you have this backwards. But signature stouts would sway this into your realm given that you are comparing to run of the mill porters. ( like Strohs Signature compares to regular Strohs, read Shorts backwards) Porters usually are not signature but classically are more viscous and higher ABV.

 

There is no difference. It's up to the brewer to decide if it's a porter or stout. @TongoRad gave you everything you need to know.

Even the people who think there is a difference can't agree on what the difference is, which is evident by the conflicting responses in this thread so far. Furthermore, for anyone who insists on some characteristic(s) that differentiates the porter from stout, I guarantee there are many common well-known commercial beers that break their "rules".

Stouts are higher ABV... like Guinness, right? Fail.
Porters have a lighter body... like Founders Porter, right? Fail.

We can go on and on, because the "rules" don't hold up to reality. Anyone claiming there is a difference isn't paying attention to facts/history and employing a lot of confirmation bias. Ignore them.

 

You are exactly correct. Read the description here for American Stout and American Porter. They are exactly the same with the porter having a higher ABV range as the only difference. All in the eye of the beholder. For a comparison of the beers as they originated, where do we turn? That is the real answer, not the current brews that exist, unless that is what we are comparing.

 

Guinness is a good 4.2 and an example of a classic. But yeah it's not a fully concocted triple hopped reverse hobglobinated upside down double coffee triple foamed stout.

 

All porters are stouts, but not all stouts are porters.

 

I really can't tell anymore if this has become intentionally ridiculous.

 

Off topic but I don't understand why people get so butthurt if someone creates a topic that's been brought up before. This isn't your website. It's not wasting your hard drive space. Nobody forces you to come into the thread. Instead coming in here and trolling and talking shit go take a nap cuz you need one.

 

Between this and all the 'new member' threads, I'd say 2015 is off to a pretty dull start

 

BEHOLD A MONKEY, NOW, A GORILLA.