Comparison
American porter vs American stout
What is the difference between American porter and American stout?
The short answer
The main difference is dryness: American stout has far more of it than American porter. American porter also leads on caramel & toffee; American stout on resin & pine and bitterness.
Generated from the two style records. No editor has written this comparison up, so it carries no verdict beyond what the data supports.
Where they overlap
They share comparable roast, sweetness, body, overlapping strength ranges, the same style family — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| American porter | American stout | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Porter & stout | Porter & stout |
| Fermentation | Top-fermented (ale) | Top-fermented (ale) |
| Origin | United States | United States |
| Category status | Established | Established |
| Strength | 4.8–6.5% ABV | 5–7% ABV |
| Bitterness (IBU) — IBU measures iso-alpha acids in the lab. It does not track perceived bitterness, which residual sweetness, body and roast all alter — compare the sensory rows below for how each actually tastes. | 25–50 IBU | 35–75 IBU |
| Colour — These are the same depth in the glass; colour is not what tells them apart. | Very dark brown to black — 22–40 SRM, 43–79 EBC | Black — 30–40 SRM, 59–79 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.050–1.070 | 1.050–1.075 |
| Final gravity | 1.012–1.018 | 1.010–1.022 |
| Serving temperature | 9–12°C | 9–12°C |
| Carbonation | 2–3 vol CO₂ | 2–3 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Nonic pint, Tulip glass | Tulip glass, Nonic pint |
| Clarity | clear | opaque |
How they taste different
| Character | American porter | American stout |
|---|---|---|
| Dryness | Not characteristic | Moderate |
| Resin & pine | Not characteristic | Low–Moderate |
| Caramel & toffee | Low | Not characteristic |
| Bitterness | Moderate | High |
| Hop aroma | Low | Moderate |
| Coffee | Low–Moderate | High |
Which should you choose?
- You want more dryness → American stout
- You want more caramel & toffee → American porter
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.