About Stouts and Porters

Stouts and porters are very dark, almost black in color, and feature heavily roasted flavors and aromas. This is achieved when brewers use malt that has been heavily kilned until it resembles burnt toast. These beers use top-fermenting yeasts and are members of the ale family. Originally, the term “porter” was used to describe an English dark beer that was the drink of the masses long before lagers were conceived or modern ales were fashionable. In the heyday of porter, during the eighteenth century, the term "stout" was used to denote the strongest and weightiest beers in a brewer’s portfolio. The same holds true today, with porters generally being lighter in body and color than stouts. Stouts and porters are enormously popular among craft brewers, with virtually all brewpubs and regional microbrewers producing one or both year round.

Top Picks for Stouts and Porters

Edison Brewing Gus Porter
94 points
Wonderful to taste a traditional style Porter with such quality and complexity without giving way to frills.
Fremont Brewing Dark Star Imperial Oatmeal Stout
93 points
An excellent rendition of an Oatmeal Stout for sipping on a winter afternoon.
Maguires Draught Stout
91 points
$6.99
A spot-on Irish stout with nice roasted grainy nutty flavor and a creamy, satisfying finish.
91 points $6.99
Saint Patrick’s Brewing Company Midnight Mocha Stout
88 points
$0
A dense and roasty Oatmeal Stout that warms the soul.
Wild River Brewing And Pizza Co. Double Eagle Imperial Stout
87 points
Roasty toasty, curl up under a blanket next to the fire or pound a few in the snow near a ski slope.
Awards: 2023 World Beer Championships Silver Medal
Damm Brewery Equilater Imperial Stout
87 points
$0
A high octane, brooding Imperial Stout with flavor that doesn't quit.
Elmhurst Brewing Company Fools Gold Golden Stout Cold-Brewed Coffee Ale
85 points
A hoppy, coffee-flavored ale with a distinctive fruity profile.
Penn Cove Brewing Co. Patmore Porter
84 points
A dominating rich and smoky porter best as a nightcap.