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Winter is here, and as I’ve said before, dark beers are back in fashion. There are many dark beers to choose from, however, porters and stouts are usually the most common styles. So, what’s the difference?

Glad you asked. Way, way back in the day, in England, brewers made dark beer and called it porter. Brewed for colder weather, porters are dark and smoky. Sometimes a brewer would make different types of porter at different strengths.

Adding more strength to a porter and taking out, or adding, some smoky tones could give you a smoother often more stout flavor. They are still jet black, but the name stout stuck around. Hence where we get the term today.

Here are two good examples: first Samuel Smith’s Taddy Porter, named after the Tadcaster Brewery in England. This is a traditional porter, so serve it slightly chilled. Not very smoky, and dark, this is a smooth beer. With no overpowering flavors, this is a drink to savor.

Second: McGovern’s Oatmeal Stout by Maine’s Belfast Brewery. Not heavy at all, this was dark with a rich smoky flavor of oatmeal. I had this one at room temperature also, and it tasted much better as it got warmer, there was even a texture to it. All dark beers taste better at room temperature, or slightly chilled.

There you have it porters and stouts. The most popular stout, of course, is Guinness, but don’t be afraid to try others. Be careful of Russian Imperial Stouts, which were made to keep people warm in Siberia, and knock you out after a bottle or two. Beat the chill this winter with a beer that has some bite.