BEER STYLE GUIDE
What is a Stout?
Guinness taught the world what stout tastes like — roasted, slightly bitter, creamy, surprisingly light in body for such a dark beer. And for decades, that was stout: one version, one brewery, one country. Then the craft beer movement arrived and rewrote the rulebook completely. Now there are milk stouts, oatmeal stouts, imperial stouts, pastry stouts, barrel-aged stouts, and oyster stouts. The family is enormous. But they all start in the same place: roasted barley.
The name "stout" originally meant a strong porter — "stout porter" — and the two styles share a common ancestor in 18th-century London dark ales. What distinguishes stout is the use of roasted unmalted barley, which gives the coffee-dry bitterness that Guinness made famous. Standard stouts sit between 4–6% ABV; Imperial Stouts can climb above 12%. The colour is near-black (SRM 35–40), but the taste ranges from lean and bitter to rich and dessert-like depending on the brewer's intent.
WHERE IT SITS
262 Stout on the four axes
Every beer in hopIQ is read on the same four axes. The bar shows the style range, the tick marks the median — two reference beers place themselves within it.
What this style tastes of
Share of the 262 beers in hopIQ carrying each note.
100% of the 262 beers carry a roasted note — the most consistent trait of the style.
HOW IT TASTES
Soft malt, then a dry finish
Roasted grain upfront — coffee, dark chocolate, sometimes a tobacco note. There's sweetness underneath, more pronounced in milk stouts (which add lactose sugar) and oatmeal stouts (which add silky body). The finish is dry and slightly bitter from the roasted barley. The texture is where stouts often surprise people — Irish Dry Stout is lighter-bodied than it looks. Serve at 10–13°C. Too cold and the roast character turns harsh and flat.
You'll like it if you enjoy
- coffee in general
- dark chocolate and bitter flavours
- porter and dark beer
- complexity and depth
- beer that feels substantial
Look elsewhere if you want
- any roasted or coffee-like aroma
- very dark-looking drinks on principle
- refreshing light beer character
- high carbonation or fizzy finishes
262 STOUT IN HOPIQ
The highest-ranked Stout
Ranked by hopIQ Score — style fit, user engagement and awards. Not marketing budget.
COMPARED TO
Stout against other styles
QUESTIONS
Common questions about Stout
What's the difference between a Stout and a Porter?
London's original dark beer — chocolate, coffee and history in every sip. The dedicated guide "What is a Porter?" covers the style in detail.
Which Stout should I start with?
Flood Stage Stout (Souris River Brewing) sits at the top of the Stout ranking in hopIQ — the most straightforward starting point.
How cold should a Stout be served?
10–13°C. Colder mutes the malt notes; warmer brings the aromatics and alcohol forward.
Find the Stout that fits your taste
Rate a few beers and hopIQ tells you which in the catalogue matches your palate — and which to skip.