Malt
Roasted barley
Unmalted roasted grain giving the sharp, dry, coffee-like roast that defines Irish dry stout.
The use of unmalted rather than malted grain here is not a detail. It is the single substitution that separated Irish stout from London porter, and it arose partly because Irish malt taxation made unmalted barley cheaper.
What it does
Roasted malt or grain. Taken to high temperature in a roasting drum for coffee, chocolate and burnt character. No enzyme activity; used in small proportions.
Unmalted barley roasted to a high temperature. Being unmalted is the key difference from chocolate or black malt, and it produces a sharper, drier, more coffee-like roast.
Specification
| Colour | 300–500°L |
|---|---|
| Grain | barley |
| Enzyme activity | none — needs a base malt to convert it. |
| Fermentability | low |
| Typical share of grist | 3–12% |
| Flavour | sharp coffee, dry roast, burnt grain |
Substitutes
- Black malt — A malted alternative; smoother and less coffee-like.
Used in
- Irish red ale
An easy-drinking malt-led ale with caramel sweetness and a distinctive dry, faintly roasty finish.
- Dry stout
Sharp roasted-barley bitterness over a light body and a very dry finish — much lighter to drink than its colour suggests.
- Irish extra stout
A stronger, fuller dry stout with more malt depth and body while keeping the sharp roasted-barley character.
- Oatmeal stout
A stout brewed with oats for a silky, full mouthfeel, balancing roast against smoothness rather than sweetness.
- Foreign extra stout
A strong export stout, more intense in roast and body than a dry stout, historically brewed to travel.
- Tropical stout
A strong, sweet, fruity stout brewed for tropical markets, with less roast bite than its Irish relatives.
- American stout
A bold, hop-forward stout combining strong espresso roast with American citrus and pine hop character.
- Imperial stout
The strongest stout: dense, viscous and intensely roasted, with dark fruit, chocolate and substantial alcohol warmth.
- Alcohol-free stout
An alcohol-free dark beer where roasted grain does most of the work — one of the more successful conversions in the category.