Comparison
Irish extra stout vs Sweet stout
What is the difference between Irish extra stout and Sweet stout?
The short answer
The main difference is dryness: Irish extra stout has far more of it than Sweet stout. Irish extra stout also leads on alcohol warmth; Sweet stout on sweetness and caramel & toffee.
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 malt intensity, carbonation, overlapping strength ranges, the same style family — the boundary between them is narrower than the comparison suggests.
Side by side
| Irish extra stout | Sweet stout | |
|---|---|---|
| Family | Porter & stout | Porter & stout |
| Fermentation | Top-fermented (ale) | Top-fermented (ale) |
| Origin | Ireland | United Kingdom |
| Category status | Established | Established |
| Strength | 5–6.5% ABV | 4–6% 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. | 35–50 IBU | 20–40 IBU |
| Colour — These are the same depth in the glass; colour is not what tells them apart. | Black — 25–40 SRM, 49–79 EBC | Very dark brown to black — 30–40 SRM, 59–79 EBC |
| Original gravity | 1.052–1.062 | 1.044–1.060 |
| Final gravity | 1.010–1.014 | 1.012–1.024 |
| Serving temperature | 8–11°C | 9–12°C |
| Carbonation | 1.8–2.4 vol CO₂ | 1.6–2.2 vol CO₂ |
| Glassware | Nonic pint | Nonic pint, Tulip glass |
| Clarity | opaque | opaque |
How they taste different
| Character | Irish extra stout | Sweet stout |
|---|---|---|
| Dryness | High | Trace |
| Sweetness | Low | High |
| Caramel & toffee | Not characteristic | Low |
| Alcohol warmth | Trace–Low | Not characteristic |
| Bitterness | Moderate–High | Low |
| Roast | High | Moderate |
| Body | Moderate | High |
| Coffee | Moderate | Low |
| Chocolate & cocoa | Low–Moderate | High |
Which should you choose?
- You want more dryness → Irish extra stout
- You want more sweetness → Sweet stout
Derived from where the two actually differ. Neither is better — this is a question of which difference you want.