Comparison
American stout vs Irish extra stout
What is the difference between American stout and Irish extra stout?
The short answer
The main difference is hop aroma: American stout has far more of it than Irish extra stout. American stout also leads on citrus and resin & pine; Irish extra stout on alcohol warmth.
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 bitterness, roast, sweetness, overlapping strength ranges, the same style family — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| American stout | Irish extra stout | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Porter & stout | Porter & stout |
| Fermentation | Top-fermented (ale) | Top-fermented (ale) |
| Origin | United States | Ireland |
| Category status | Established | Established |
| Strength | 5–7% ABV | 5–6.5% 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. | 35–75 IBU | 35–50 IBU |
| Colour — These are the same depth in the glass; colour is not what tells them apart. | Black — 30–40 SRM, 59–79 EBC | Black — 25–40 SRM, 49–79 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.050–1.075 | 1.052–1.062 |
| Final gravity | 1.010–1.022 | 1.010–1.014 |
| Serving temperature | 9–12°C | 8–11°C |
| Carbonation | 2–3 vol CO₂ | 1.8–2.4 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Tulip glass, Nonic pint | Nonic pint |
| Clarity | opaque | opaque |
How they taste different
| Character | American stout | Irish extra stout |
|---|---|---|
| Hop aroma | Moderate | Not characteristic |
| Citrus | Low–Moderate | Not characteristic |
| Resin & pine | Low–Moderate | Not characteristic |
| Alcohol warmth | Not characteristic | Trace–Low |
| Dryness | Moderate | High |
| Coffee | High | Moderate |
Which should you choose?
- You want more hop aroma → American stout
- You want something more restrained — less hop aroma and citrus → Irish extra stout
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.