Comparison
Foreign extra stout vs Imperial stout
What is the difference between Foreign extra stout and Imperial stout?
The short answer
The main difference is dryness: Foreign extra stout has far more of it than Imperial stout. Imperial stout also leads on caramel & toffee, body and 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, the same style family — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| Foreign extra stout | Imperial stout | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Porter & stout | Porter & stout |
| Fermentation | Top-fermented (ale) | Top-fermented (ale) |
| Origin | Ireland | United Kingdom |
| Category status | Established | Established |
| Strength | 6–8% ABV | 8–14+% 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. | 30–70 IBU | 50–90 IBU |
| Colour — These are the same depth in the glass; colour is not what tells them apart. | Black — 30–40 SRM, 59–79 EBC | Opaque black — 30–40 SRM, 59–79 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.056–1.075 | 1.075–1.115 |
| Final gravity | 1.010–1.018 | 1.018–1.030 |
| Serving temperature | 10–13°C | 12–15°C |
| Carbonation | 1.8–2.4 vol CO₂ | 1–2 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Tulip glass, Nonic pint | Snifter, Tasting glass |
| Clarity | opaque | opaque |
How they taste different
| Character | Foreign extra stout | Imperial stout |
|---|---|---|
| Dryness | Moderate | Not characteristic |
| Caramel & toffee | Not characteristic | Moderate |
| Body | Moderate–High | Very high |
| Alcohol warmth | Low–Moderate | High–Very high |
| Malt intensity | High | Very high |
| Yeast fruitiness (esters) | Low | Moderate |
| Coffee | Moderate | High |
| Chocolate & cocoa | Moderate | High |
Which should you choose?
- You want more dryness → Foreign extra stout
- You want more caramel & toffee → Imperial stout
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.