HOPIQ SCORE
25beers · Ranked by style authenticity & award recognition
Porter is London's original beer style — the dark, roasty ale that fuelled the city's dockworkers before Stout existed as a separate category. It nearly vanished in the mid-20th century before American craft brewing revived it as American Porter, and today the style is produced worldwide. The hopIQ Score evaluates porters on roast character, body, and the bittersweet malt finish that defines the style across its sub-types.
Leading the ranking is Simcoe Porter from Brouwerij Noordt in Rotterdam — an American Porter brewed in the Netherlands, the highest-scoring example in the database. American breweries follow: Pluff Mud Porter from Holy City Brewing, Big Timber Brewing's Porter, and Reuben's Robust Porter place next. Fuller's London Porter from England — one of the style's historic originators — rounds out the top five.
Historically, stout was simply a "stout porter" — a stronger, darker version. Today they are judged as separate styles. Porters typically have a bittersweet roast character without the drying harshness of dry stout, and are usually lower in ABV than imperial stouts. On hopIQ, each family has its own reference criteria and separate ranking pages.
Because hopIQ scores style execution and award recognition regardless of national origin. Brouwerij Noordt's Simcoe Porter has accumulated medals from international competitions and scores highly against the American Porter style reference. The style originated in the US but is now produced at the highest level worldwide.
Yes — they are distinct sub-styles. English Porter (exemplified by Fuller's London Porter) is complex, slightly sweet, with dried fruit and chocolate from English malt. American Porter is typically bolder, cleaner, and more hop-forward. Both are scored against their own reference on hopIQ, so neither is disadvantaged by the comparison.