Porters have been created as an answer to the lighter pale ales. They became very popular among porters who worked at docks and streets of England, and quickly turned into the beer of the working class in the 18th century.
In the 1800’s the invention of the roaster opened wide opportunities for brewers to increase complexity and create new tastes. Since then Porter is continuously developing in terms of ingredients, technology and of course taste. Nevertheless – just like a few other styles – Porters disappeared after World War II, but made a comeback with the start of the craft beer era.
This made the grain popped or blown. The malt was not caramelized, but some conversion and saccharification must have happened. This process probably was difficult and expensive.
These days craft brewers create many new interesting – and sometimes crazy – Porter style beers, that can blur the lines between Porter and Stout. We would like to bring you back to the traditional roots and give you an overview of the main types of Porter.
Brown Porter (English Porter)
The original originates in England somewhere in the early 1700’s. Some historians claim that the style – known then as Entire – evolved from a mixture of 3 beers (Pale, Mild and Stale Ale), while others say it’s simply a dark evolution of English Ales. This type is the lightest Porter, is easy to drink, and has the lowest ABV and bitterness.
It provides a creamy mouthfeel with sweet and caramel-like flavours. Although it’s considered as the precursor to Stout, it shouldn’t have a strong, burnt or roasted flavour. Some older versions of this beer even used Brettanomyces to add a funky character to the beer. The grain bill consists of numerous varieties, including caramel, chocolate and also a small amount of darker black malts.
Robust Porter (American Porter)
This is the stronger, more complex and roasty big brother of Brown Porter. The style has a recent origin. It evolved from a less bold English variant to full-bodied American one in the modern craft beer age. This is why it is often referred to as American Porter. It’s the more aggressive and hoppier version of an English Porter, so these significantly differ from the traditional one.
These Porters should always have a roasty character of coffee and chocolate, that is well balanced with the creamy and malty sweetness of caramel (crystal) malts. A roasted barley flavour isn’t typical in this style either, that distinguishes it from Stouts. The tastiest versions may expand the malt character with bready and biscuit-like flavours and aromas.
Baltic Porter
Baltic Porter was probably the first internationally distributed beer. When England started to export beer to the Baltics, people quickly fell in love with it. These colder countries were dominated by German-style lager brewing, so a bottom-fermented Porter quickly emerged. Those creative brewers not only adapted the traditional ale style to a lager version, but they also began to create stronger and more complex types. They formed the Baltic Porter as it is known today.
Imperial Porter (Double Porter)
Many beer styles have an Imperial or Double version. This means that more malt and hop is used. Of course, they also tend to have a higher ABV. Porter is no exception to this phenomenon. This is the heaviest beer in the Porter family and it imparts a huge of roasty character, reminiscent of chocolate and coffee. Some fruitiness can often be found in these beers.
Various
With a broader beer scene than ever, it may be no surprise that a lot of sub-styles have emerged. We have collected the most famous ones here. While many Porters have hints of coffee, the craft scene has introduced a version where actual coffee is added to the brewing process. These beers are aptly called Coffee Porters. Another novelty is Smoked Porter, that is brewed with distinctive smoked malt.