American Porter
American porter: a roasty, chocolatey, bitter dark ale, stronger and hoppier than an English porter; craft brewers revived it from 1974. Strength, taste, serving.
An American porter pours medium to very dark brown, often with ruby or garnet at the edge, under a full tan head. It tastes of roast and chocolate, lightly burnt, sometimes with caramel behind it, with a medium to high bitterness and a resin, earth or floral hop. It finishes dry to medium-sweet and should never be acrid or sour. Strength runs at 4.8–6.5%.
Where it comes from
The modern version came with the craft brewers: the BJCP dates it to 1974, as a stronger and more assertive take on the English porter and the porters American brewers made before Prohibition. Anchor’s Porter, Deschutes Black Butte and Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald are classics.
How to serve it
Pour it at 10–13 °C into a nonic pint. CraftBeer.com files it as the robust porter and pairs it with roasted or grilled meats, Gruyère or chocolate and peanut butter cookies.
Next to its neighbours
It is more bitter, often stronger, darker in malt and drier than an English porter. An American stout goes further in strength, roast and hop.
American Porter in numbers
- Classic examples
- Anchor Brewing, Cervejaria Colorado, Microbrasserie Pit Caribou, Cerveza Loba, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Bell's Brewery, Deschutes Brewery
- Original gravity
- 1.050–1.070
- Final gravity
- 1.012–1.018
- Food
- Roasted or grilled meats; Gruyère; chocolate and peanut butter cookies
- Classic examples
- Anchor Porter; Deschutes Black Butte Porter; Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter; Sierra Nevada Porter; Smuttynose Robust Porter
- BJCP style
- 20A American Porter
Sources
Checked .
- 20A. American Porter, 2021 Beer Style Guidelines — Beer Judge Certification Program
- Robust Porter — CraftBeer.com, Brewers Association
