Irish Stout

Includes styles: Dry Stout

Recipes:: 8,534
BJCP 2021:: 15B
Era:: Traditional
Origin:: 🇮🇪 Ireland
Fermentation:: Top
Color:: Dark
Strength:: Normal
Taste:: Bitter

Profile

Irish Stout, also known as Dry Stout, is a popular beer style that originates from the 18th-century porter brews of London. It evolved into a distinct style in Ireland where brewers, seeking to create a fuller-flavored brew that was still sessionable, developed the signature characteristics of the Irish Stout we recognize today. These stouts are typically exemplified by moderate roasted malt and coffee flavors without much apparent sweetness.

Appearance-wise, an Irish Stout is dark brown to black in color and often has a ruby hue when held up to light. They showcase a creamy tan to brown head which is persistent and lends itself to lacework on the glass as it's consumed. The clarity may vary from clear to slightly opaque due to the dark coloration. Flavor and aroma profiles of an Irish Stout are characterized by roasted grain notes reminiscent of coffee or cocoa without being overly bitter or burnt. There's usually a hint of malt sweetness but overall balance leans towards dryness with minimal hop flavor, as the bitterness comes mainly from roasted grains rather than hops. Its moderate alcohol content makes it very approachable and easy-drinking for many beer enthusiasts who appreciate darker beers.

Its dryness distinguishes it from other related stout styles such as Sweet Stouts or Oatmeal Stouts that emphasize residual sweetness or silky mouthfeel.