Beer Styles  »  Dry Stout

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ABV: 4 - 5%    IBUs: 30 - 45    SRM: 25 - 40    OG: 1.036 - 1.050    FG: 1.007 - 1.011

A very dark, roasty, bitter, creamy ale.

Coffee-like roasted barley and roasted malt aromas are prominent; may have slight chocolate, cocoa and/or grainy secondary notes. Esters medium-low to none. No diacetyl. Hop aroma low to none.
Jet black to deep brown with garnet highlights in color. Can be opaque (if not, it should be clear). A thick, creamy, long-lasting, tan- to brown-colored head is characteristic.
Moderate roasted, grainy sharpness, optionally with light to moderate acidic sourness, and medium to high hop bitterness. Dry, coffee-like finish from roasted grains. May have a bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate character in the palate, lasting into the finish. Balancing factors may include some creaminess, medium-low to no fruitiness, and medium to no hop flavor. No diacetyl.
Medium-light to medium-full body, with a creamy character. Low to moderate carbonation. For the high hop bitterness and significant proportion of dark grains present, this beer is remarkably smooth. The perception of body can be affected by the overall gravity with smaller beers being lighter in body. May have a light astringency from the roasted grains, although harshness is undesirable.
The style evolved from attempts to capitalize on the success of London porters, but originally reflected a fuller, creamier, more "stout" body and strength. When a brewery offered a stout and a porter, the stout was always the stronger beer (it was originally called a "Stout Porter"). Modern versions are brewed from a lower OG and no longer reflect a higher strength than porters.
This is the draught version of what is otherwise known as Irish stout or Irish dry stout. Bottled versions are typically brewed from a significantly higher OG and may be designated as foreign extra stouts (if sufficiently strong). While most commercial versions rely primarily on roasted barley as the dark grain, others use chocolate malt, black malt or combinations of the three. The level of bitterness is somewhat variable, as is the roasted character and the dryness of the finish; allow for interpretation by brewers.
The dryness comes from the use of roasted unmalted barley in addition to pale malt, moderate to high hop bitterness, and good attenuation. Flaked unmalted barley may also be used to add creaminess. A small percentage (perhaps 3%) of soured beer is sometimes added for complexity (generally by Guinness only). Water typically has moderate carbonate hardness, although high levels will not give the classic dry finish.

		Beer Name	Brewery	ABV	IBUs
	(2)	Old No. 38 Stout	North Coast Brewing Co.	5.5%	53
	(0)	Jack Tar Stout	Bull City Burger and Brewery	---	---
	(1)	Blue Fin Stout	Shipyard Brewing Co.	4.7%	---
	(0)	Dark Starr Stout	Starr Hill Brewing Co.	4.2%	35
	(0)	Guinness Extra Stout	Guinness Ltd.	6%	---
	(0)	Murphy's Irish Stout	Murphy Brewery	4%	---
	(0)	Donnybrook Stout	Victory Brewing Co.	3.7%	---
	(0)	Sea Dog Stout	Sea Dog Brewing Co.	4.5%	---
	(0)	Moonstone Stout	OysterHouse Brewing Co.	4.5%	---
	(0)	Boulevard Dry Stout	Boulevard Brewing Co.	4.9%	28
	(1)	St. Stephen's Green	Mystery Brewing Co.	3.5%	38
	(0)	Black Hawk Stout	Mendocino Brewing Co.	5.2%	---
	(0)	Curley's Irish Stout	Beer Works	4%	---
	(0)	Black Sun	Three Floyds	6.5%	50
	(2)	Guinness Draught	Guinness Ltd.	4.2%	---
	(1)	Brooklyn Dry Irish Stout	Brooklyn Brewery	4.7%	---
	(0)	Shimaguni Stout	Baird Brewing Co.	4.6%	---
	(0)	Onward Stout	Yazoo Brewing Co.	3.8%	35
	(0)	Stud Service Stout	Thirsty Dog Brewing Co.	3.1%	58
	(0)	Sprecher Irish Stout	Sprecher Brewing Co.	5.73%	26