Comparison
Foreign extra stout vs Pastry stout
What is the difference between Foreign extra stout and Pastry stout?
The short answer
The main difference is malt intensity: Foreign extra stout has far more of it than Pastry stout. Foreign extra stout also leads on dryness; Pastry stout on caramel & toffee and sweetness.
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 alcohol warmth, carbonation, coffee, the same style family — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| Foreign extra stout | Pastry stout | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Porter & stout | Porter & stout |
| Fermentation | Top-fermented (ale) | Top-fermented (ale) |
| Origin | Ireland | United States |
| Category status — One of these is a more settled category than the other, which is worth knowing before treating the comparison as exact. | Established | Commercial category |
| Strength | 6–8% ABV | 7–14% 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 | 20–50 IBU |
| Colour — These are the same depth in the glass; colour is not what tells them apart. | Black — 30–40 SRM, 59–79 EBC | Opaque black — 35–40 SRM, 69–79 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.056–1.075 | 1.075–1.120 |
| Final gravity | 1.010–1.018 | 1.024–1.040 |
| Serving temperature | 10–13°C | 11–14°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 | Pastry stout |
|---|---|---|
| Malt intensity | High | Not characteristic |
| Caramel & toffee | Not characteristic | High |
| Sweetness | Low–Moderate | Very high |
| Dryness | Moderate | None–Trace |
| Yeast fruitiness (esters) | Low | Not characteristic |
| Bitterness | Moderate–High | Low |
| Roast | High | Moderate |
| Body | Moderate–High | Very high |
| Chocolate & cocoa | Moderate | High–Very high |
Which should you choose?
- You want more malt intensity → Foreign extra stout
- You want more caramel & toffee → Pastry stout
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.