Comparison
English porter vs Irish extra stout
What is the difference between English porter and Irish extra stout?
The short answer
The main difference is yeast fruitiness (esters): English porter has noticeably more of it than Irish extra stout. English porter also leads on hop aroma and caramel & toffee; 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, sweetness, body, the same style family — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| English porter | Irish extra stout | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Porter & stout | Porter & stout |
| Fermentation | Top-fermented (ale) | Top-fermented (ale) |
| Origin | United Kingdom | Ireland |
| Category status | Established | Established |
| Strength | 4–5.4% 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. | 18–35 IBU | 35–50 IBU |
| Colour | Dark brown to black, ruby highlights — 20–30 SRM, 39–59 EBC | Black — 25–40 SRM, 49–79 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.040–1.052 | 1.052–1.062 |
| Final gravity | 1.008–1.014 | 1.010–1.014 |
| Serving temperature | 10–13°C | 8–11°C |
| Carbonation | 1–2 vol CO₂ | 1.8–2.4 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Nonic pint, Tulip glass | Nonic pint |
| Clarity | clear | opaque |
How they taste different
| Character | English porter | Irish extra stout |
|---|---|---|
| Yeast fruitiness (esters) | Low | Not characteristic |
| Hop aroma | Trace–Low | Not characteristic |
| Caramel & toffee | Low | Not characteristic |
| Alcohol warmth | Not characteristic | Trace–Low |
| Roast | Moderate | High |
| Nutty | Low | Not characteristic |
| Dryness | Moderate | High |
| Coffee | Low | Moderate |
Which should you choose?
- You want more yeast fruitiness (esters) → English porter
- You want something more restrained — less yeast fruitiness (esters) and hop aroma → Irish extra stout
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.