BJCP · Category 20 · 3 styles
American Porter and Stout
American porters and stouts start from the English and Irish versions but bring more hops, bolder roast and clean yeast. The family runs from porter, the smoothest and most chocolatey, to American stout, more roasty and bitter, and ends with imperial stout, the biggest and most intense of them all.
The 3 American Porter and Stout styles
The numbers at a glance
| BJCP style | ABV | Bitterness | Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Porter | 4.8–6.5% | 25–50 IBU | 22–40 SRM |
| American Stout | 5.0–7.0% | 35–75 IBU | 30–40 SRM |
| Imperial Stout | 8.0–12.0% | 50–90 IBU | 30–40 SRM |
How to tell the styles apart
Color barely helps between American Porter (20A) and American Stout (20B): porter runs from 22 to 40 SRM and stout from 30 to 40, both nearly black. The difference is in the grain and the bitterness. Porter relies on chocolate and caramel, with 25-50 IBU and a rounded roast; stout uses roasted barley, leans toward coffee and can reach 75 IBU, with a drier, sharper finish.
Imperial Stout (20C) stands apart on size: original gravity of 1.075 to 1.115, 8 to 12% alcohol and 50-90 IBU. Along with the roast you get dark fruit, liqueur-like notes and a dense body. Porter and stout sit between 4.8 and 7%, so a black beer that warms on the way down is already an imperial.
Brew it yourself
Which one to brew first
Brew American Porter (20A) first. It's the most forgiving with the dark malt balance: if you overdo the chocolate a little, it's still a porter, and with American yeast at 18-20 °C (64-68 °F) fermentation holds no surprises. American Stout (20B) requires adjusting your water, because roasted malt lowers the pH, and Imperial Stout (20C) needs a big yeast pitch, oxygenation and months of aging. Get to it once you've mastered the other two.
Common mistakes
- Adding more black patent malt to make it darker: it brings a harsh, astringent burnt flavor. You get the same black color with chocolate malt and roasted barley.
- Pitching a single packet of yeast into an Imperial Stout. At those gravities fermentation stalls halfway and the beer turns out sweet and cloying.
- Tasting the Imperial Stout after a month and writing it off. The alcohol and roast take months to come together; set aside most of the batch and open a bottle every so often.
- Holding back on bitterness in the porter for fear of the roast. Without firm hopping it tastes flat and sweet; the American version is hoppier than the English one.
How to serve them
Porter and stout at 8-12 °C (46-54 °F) in a pint glass; the imperial at 12-15 °C (54-59 °F) in a snifter or tulip, so it releases its aromas and you can sip it slowly. Porter goes with roasted meats and barbecue; stout with oysters, beef stews or dark chocolate. The imperial calls for chocolate desserts, blue cheeses or drinking it on its own after a meal.
Frequently asked questions
Which styles make up the American Porter and Stout category?
According to the BJCP 2021 guidelines, 3: American Porter, American Stout, Imperial Stout.
Which is the strongest American Porter and Stout style?
Imperial Stout, which can reach 12.0% ABV.
Which is the most bitter?
Imperial Stout, with up to 90 IBUs.
Which is the palest and which is the darkest?
The palest is American Porter and the darkest is Imperial Stout.
Classification and statistics: BJCP category 20 (American Porter and Stout), 2021 edition.