LEARN ABOUT BEER
Stout – "a stout fellow"
If you know the expression ‘a stout man’, you also know the beer Stout. A stout man is powerful, straight-backed and proud. Stout, on the other hand, has a lot of flavour power and often a full body, which is held in place by a solid frame of bitterness. It also has a proud tradition.
A strong variation of Porter
In England, the word stout means roughly the same as in Norwegian. In connection with beer, the word was therefore used to refer to strong varieties of many different styles. But the beer Stout as we know it today is actually a stronger variety of a specific style, namely Porter (read more about Porter here).
In 19th century England, lighter beers began to shine in British pubs. And with them, dark styles like Porter were pushed into the shadows. But in the deep shadows brewed a beer that was even stronger and darker, and this was Stout Porter. As the regular Porter was almost forgotten, the name simply became Stout.
The style eventually became such a popular alternative to lighter beers that it branched out. Today, the variety comes in many guises, such as Irish, Imperial, Oatmeal and just Stout.
Brief overview of famous Stouts
English |
Irish |
Oatmeal |
Imperial |
| Full-bodied with medium bitterness and a dry mouthfeel. | Medium-bodied with velvety foam. | Full-bodied with a particularly rich and creamy mouthfeel. | Full-bodied and slightly sweet with high bitterness. Aromas of dark fruit and licorice. |