Stout is a dark beer made using roasted malts. Stout was first brewed by Guinness of Ireland and was originally called Stout-Porter, as its recipe was a variation of that for porter beer.
It encompasses a large enough class of beers and subclasses of beers, that Stout and Porter are considered two distinct styles.
There are several kinds of stout:
- Irish stout or dry stout is the original product
- Imperial stout was originally brewed in England for import to the court of the Tsar of Russia. It has a very high alcohol content--nine or ten percent is not uncommon--intended to preserve it during long trips and to provide a more bracing drink against cold climates.
- Milk stout or 'sweet stout', which despite the name has never had milk added to it. The significant residual sweetness which is present in a milk stout is due to addition of lactose (a by-product of the cheese making process) before fermentation. Yeast cannot ferment lactose, so the beer retains a fuller body. The name 'cream stout' often denotes very smooth, thick-textured stouts with a distinctive flavour.
- Oatmeal stout, similarly, had oats added to it.
Examples of stouts are:
- Guinness - From Ireland, its alcoholic content and flavour are both characterized as light. [1] (http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/Beer/Beer-Ratings.asp?BeerID=1267)
- Murphy's [2] (http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/Beer/Beer-Ratings.asp?BeerID=1099)
- Beamish - a dry stout beer. [3] (http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/Beer/Beer-Ratings.asp?BeerID=1)
- Carbine Stout
- Mackeson's XXX. [4] (http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/Beer/Beer-Ratings.asp?BeerID=3766)
- Shakespeare Stout, brewed by Rogue Breweries in the Pacific Northwest. [5] (http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/Beer/Beer-Ratings.asp?BeerID=1087)
- Obsidian Stout, from Deschutes Brewery (also hailing from the Pacific Northwest). [6] (http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/Beer/Beer-Ratings.asp?BeerID=2138)
- Ellezelloise Hercule Stout, a Russian stout, brewed in Belgium. [7] (http://www.ratebeer.com/Ratings/Beer/Beer-Ratings.asp?BeerID=6701)