Porter was born in the 18th century pubs of London, a blend of younger pale ales and darker older ales that resulted in a full flavored and hearty pint favored by the porters of the city. London’s breweries began producing a beer intended to mimic the popular pub creation on an industrial scale. These porters were produced to varying strengths, with stronger fuller bodied porters being labeled “stout porter.” Eventually, porter was dropped from the label and stout, as a distinct style, was born.
Modern brewing practice entails one (fuzzy) distinction between stout and porter. Stout is brewed with roasted barley; porter is not (or less commonly). The use of roasted barley means stouts, broadly speaking, have more pronounced and deeper roasted notes to the nose, as well as a more pronounced dry bitterness on the palate. Porters are commonly perceived as sweeter on the nose and palate. Furthermore, the color range for stouts is darker, ranging from dark brown to black, while porters rest more firmly in the brown spectrum.
Since it can be a fuzzy line, here is a simple explanation that most will agree with:
Stouts, specifically, dry stouts should use only 2 row malt and roasted barley, with perhaps a small amount of flaked barley or oatmeal. It should have no hop aroma or flavor whatsoever.
Porters, on the other hand, should use some crystal malts, therefore giving it some definite caramel charecter. They should also have a definite hop aroma and flavor, and can even be dry hopped.
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