Throughout the 1700s to early 1800s in England, the word “stout” was often used for both Brown Stout and Pale Stout, where stout meant strong, regardless of beer color. Across this same time period and into the early 1900s, English brewers and drinkers used the words “Strong Porter” and “Stout” for the same beer. So Stout Beer as we know it today originated as Strong Porter.
From the early 1700s, Porter, and therefore Strong Porter or Stout, evolved in flavor through various iterations of ingredients, brewing methods and strength. Modern research of early 1800s English beer recipes reveals that in many commercial breweries the recipe for their Porter and Strong Porter or Brown Stout was exactly the same. The difference in the beers was from drawing off more water from the malt for Stouts: The less water used for mashing Stouts, the stronger the beer. Porter and Stout were the same, except Stout was stronger.
By the late 1800s some English breweries’ Stout recipes began changing and a further distinction to Porters emerged: New Stouts became notably sweeter in taste. The use of more brown malt and less black malt, and the addition of other fermentable sugars, also lessened the roasted flavor and increased the alcohol strength. In the early 1900s a new type of Stout emerged called Milk Stout (or Cream Stout or Sweet Stout), which added non-fermenting lactose sugar that bolstered body and sweetness. This represented a gradual change in Stouts, as consumer preferences in England changed with the growing popularity of English Mild Ale and other beers.
The strength of Porter and Stout dropped during the First and Second World Wars, and by the 1940s Porter had become all but extinct. “Stout” had evolved in British lexicon to become the de facto term, with Porter only visible on some un-changed tap handles in old pubs.
Over the past 30 years, American craft brewers have resurrected Old World Porter and Stout recipes through their own interpretations. American importers are also bringing English-brewed Porter and Stout beer brands to our shores. So we can enjoy many examples of these styles, and wonder how they ever could have fallen in popularity. “Stout” calls to mind a classic and time-honored beer style.
The strength of Porter and Stout dropped during the First and Second World Wars, and by the 1940s Porter had become all but extinct. “Stout” had evolved in British lexicon to become the de facto term, with Porter only visible on some un-changed tap handles in old pubs.
Over the past 30 years, American craft brewers have resurrected Old World Porter and Stout recipes through their own interpretations. American importers are also bringing English-brewed Porter and Stout beer brands to our shores. So we can enjoy many examples of these styles, and wonder how they ever could have fallen in popularity. “Stout” calls to mind a classic and time-honored beer style.
APPEARANCE
Color: Medium brown to black
Clarity: Most brands opaque, some clear
Head: Creamy, often long-lasting, leaving lace on the glass
AROMA AND TASTE
Malts: Caramel-sweet, chocolaty, toffee, coffee, toasty, roasty or burnt
Hops: Supportive bitterness in Irish and English styles; aromatic and bold in American styles
Yeast: Estery notes of various dark fruits, including plum and fig
Other: Licorice, char
MOUTH-FEEL
Consistency: Smooth, velvety, silky, chew
Carbonation: Delicate to round
Body: Medium to full
Finish: Long to everlasting, dry to wet
