What is Stout beer and what makes it different to other beers?

Stout is an ale variety beer so at it’s very heart it is a top fermented beverage. 

Unlike Pale ale, Stout is dark almost jet black in colour but held to the light, some varieties will showcase a deep garnet red coloured highlight in the glass.

The black colour of Stout is derived from the use of special dark roasted grains and malts. 

While the majority of the wort comprises of lighter coloured base malt, brewers control the level of colour and roasted malt character in Stout with a proportionately small amount of dark roasted malts.

The malt character flavours in Stout mirror that of coffee, dark toasted bread, toffee and dark chocolate but the magic really happens in combination with the low fruit notes from the ale fermentation such as ripe dark stone fruits,  plum pudding and the balanced hop flavours of low woody, slightly herbal spice from the earthy hops. 

Stout’s colour is what really separates the beer drinkers with one camp considering Stout beer to be heavy, bitter and filling simply due to it being so black in appearance and the other camp knowing that the colour is misleading because draught stout is so light it can actually float on top of pale ale and Stout can be as session-able a beer as any lager. It is never harsh, bitter or burned tasting.

That is of course if we are talking about Irish Draught Stout or Irish Dry Stout. The major brands would be Beamish, Murphy’s and of course the celebrated Guinness Draught Stout.

Served cold on a nitrogen tap, Irish Draught Stout is a showcase of smooth, dark perfection. The best examples are exceptionally balanced and clean with out harsh spikes in flavour or aroma. Astringency is never present and the finish is dry, clean and somewhat slightly coffee-like on the pallet. Low carbonation and nitrogenating the beverage create a soft, appealing mouthfeel that is smooth and velvety.

Most Draught Stout experts would agree that the majority of Irish Draught Stout served under nitrogen at the bar are served too cold. For a real treat, enjoy your Irish Draught Stout a little bit slower to appreciate the nuances as it warms in the glass over time. The aroma and flavour become more broad and deepen as every sip leaves a perfect ring of lace on your glass as you drink.

Like all beer styles, there are further interpretations and experimentations with Stout since it was first developed, argued over by brewers and designed to meet various global markets.

Imperial Stout – Developed by Thrale’s Anchor Brewery for export to the court of Catherine II of Russia in the 18th century. Brewed to be 10% or stronger for better exportability in barrels before refrigeration.

Oatmeal Stout – Developed by Rose and Wilson of Grimsby and Hull – oats were readily available for brewers in the north of England and Scotland. The addition creates a creamy, velvety body for the beer.

Milk Stout – Also known as Sweet Stout. Developed by Mackeson Brewery in Kent, England. The addition of lactose sweetened the final beer and was seen as nutritional in the early 20th century.

American Stout – Brewed to be 5.5% and up to 7%ABV and showcasing American hops in higher quantities. Made popular at the beginning of the craft beer revolution in the early 1980s and encapsulated by Sierra Nevada.

White Stout – All the Stout flavour without roasted malt – looks more like a pale ale but hits with a Stout flavour as most varities use barrel ageing, coffee, cacao nibs and vanilla to impart flavour.

Oyster Stout – Early 1900’s Stout Brewers and Pubs would pair oysters as a snack with Stout. Modern brewers now add the oysters to the brew kettle to extract a Briney flavour without fishiness.

Pastry Stout – Moden craft beer style popularised by Southern Tier Brewing Company of Lakewood, New York utilising both lactose for sweetness and oats for creaminess.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout – Another modern take combining higher strength sweet pastry stout with cacao nibs, vanilla, cinnamon and chilli pepper to present a fully loaded sensory stout experience

Tropical Stout - Characterised by Guinness Jamaican Export and Sri Lanka's Lion Brewery. The Tropical Stout is full bodied stronger in alcohol, sweeter than draught stout and fruitier/roastier.

There is a Stout for just about every season, every food and every occasion.

Stout is one of the major styles to drive the craft brewing scene since the early 1980s. Just looking at the varieties of Stout now available, it’s obvious that Stout is a brewers muse, constantly encouraging further experiment in combination with ingredients and processes. Which,  actually, makes a lot of sense because the beer scene in the 1980s was dominated by a few massive global entities that all made very similar golden pilsners and lagers. What better way for small, renegade brewers to differentiate themselves than to produce a jet black beer with a completely different flavour profile to commercial yellow fizz.

Stout is also seen to be one of the best styles of beer to brew for those who are just starting out on their own brewing journey. It is relatively easy to produce, the process in fermentation is fairly straight forward requiring no further tank additions during cellaring and the end result doesn’t have to be super clear like pilsners. It’s a fast beer to produce from start to finish and the finished product is an absolute joy to sip for your very first time making your own beer. Plus, at Keg King, we’ve made brewing your own even easier because our Keg King Beer Kits provide brewers with 16.5 litres of brewery fresh wort to ferment by simply pouring it into their fermenters, topping up with three to five litres of prepared brewery water and pitching the yeast of their choice. Brewers will get an authentic, all grain beer, skip the working mess of brew day and get right into the action of fermentation.

Stout. Don’t fear the dark. 

Check it out and hoist a pint of this black beer with your mates.