Porters (Left Hand example)

[Krougar]

I had LH BlackJack porter for the first time today (second attempt at getting it due to an idiot bartender and my lack of caring at the time). I'm impressed with the way it is on the one hand, very drinkable and smooth, and on the other still retaining very -strong- tastes of chocolate, coffee/toffee?, and just enough hoppiness in both taste and aroma. I can look for hours and still not come up with a conclusive distinction of what makes the flavor in a porter and a stout (other than brewing methods...) so similar but having different "approaches".

This porter is what I will probably use as a base point for my continued experimentation. What is it that really separates the stout and the porter that I should be drawn to a beer like this, though? Is the true porter a little sweeter? I am partial to milk stouts. Where am I supposed to draw the line if I were in a blind test and asked to name the run of the mill stout compared to the porter?

Help; comments on Left Hand or any porter...anything is welcome.

[steveh]

Originally posted by Krougar
This porter is what I will probably use as a base point for my continued experimentation. What is it that really separates the stout and the porter that I should be drawn to a beer like this, though? Is the true porter a little sweeter? I am partial to milk stouts. Where am I supposed to draw the line if I were in a blind test and asked to name the run of the mill stout compared to the porter?


You have discovered the real trouble with comparing Porters and Stouts, there are more styles of Stouts to compare Porters with! In the Beer Judge Certification Program Style guide, there are 2 Porter styles; Robust and Brown. Listed under examples for Robust are Sierra Nevada and Anchor's versions, under Brown are Sam Smith's Taddy and Fuller's London, among others.

Within the Stout styles are 4 different categories; Dry, Sweet (the milk style falls in here), Oatmeal, and Foreign Extra.

I've always defined a separation between the 2 styles with Porter having more roasted malt flavor than a Stout (usually a dry stout that I'm drinking). Yes, Stouts have a roastiness, but I've found the flavor more on the burnt/bitter side from Black Patent malt, rather than the usual roasted malt flavors which are less harsh.

Appearances of the beers is a whole second tangent!

S.

http://www.mv.com/ipusers/slack/bjcp/style-index.html

[chazwicke]

This is an excellent question and one that I get asked occasionally as well. I agree with Stevehs explanation and found the BJCP website helpful too. I have almost always preferred Porters to Stouts. I find them to generally be milder and less harsh in most American versions than the stouts. English and Irish versions are a bit harder to discern as I believe they have more finesse than thier American cousins. I dislike a huge burned or roasty flavor. I prefer a milder version. Legend Brewing In Richmond, VA used to have a sensational porter. I have not had it in a while. A good friend and former colleague, Brad Mortenson is now the head brewer there. Recently I have enjoyed several Hopback Entire Stouts from England. It is very good.

[ratman03]

I think there is some overlap due to the many interpretations, esp. in the US.
I think a good example is Sierra
Nevada's porter and stout. They're both dark, but they use different hops, as well as one different malt (chocolate vs. black). One of my old faves that is no longer brewed, Catamount Porter (VT), had a great pronounced burnt taste that to me was the essence of an American porter. So perhaps because of this, in porters I tend to look for that taste.

I remember Left Hand's porter as being ok but nothing special. Krougar, definitley try
Rogue's Shakespeare Stout if you can find it.

[Salpta]

If'n you like the Sierra Nevada porter, you should go ahead and try the porter from the Palmetto Brewery. The malt taste is almost the same, but it is more mildly hopped. End result is a great "Hook" beer for getting people started on the path to the dark side... :p

[ratman03]

If'n you like the Sierra Nevada porter, you should go ahead and try the porter from the Palmetto Brewery

I haven't heard of Palmetto, but I'll keep an eye out. Good dark beer is a good thing. :p

[Salpta]

Well I just looked up Palmetto vs Sierra Nevada on both RateBeer.com and BeerAdvocate.com. In each the Palmetto eeks a better rating over the SN, but has significantly less reviews.

If you're interested I'd be willing to trade a bottle or two for something not availible here in the Butthole of Better Brew which is South Carolina.