Stout-Style Brews Outside of Ireland/England?

I'm curious if there are any traditional varieties from the continent (ie: Europe outside of England/Ireland) that can be loosely called a stout or porter. I love English and Irish brews, but I'm thinking perhaps I should expand my horizons, and look to brew a dark beer from one of those countries on the other side of the channel.

Not really interested in the American derivations. Although they're quite nice, for the most part they're a play on the English/Irish styles.

Imperial Stout?

Well, stouts and porters ARE English/Irish styles.

What about these styles do you enjoy? That may help with recommendations.

baltic porter's pretty close, although arguably modeled after english porter.

if you're looking for stouts and porters beyond the british isles, you'd be remiss to neglect the wide range of american versions, though.

john from dc said:

baltic porter's pretty close, although arguably modeled after english porter.

if you're looking for stouts and porters beyond the british isles, you'd be remiss to neglect the wide range of american versions, though.

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And don't forget the tropical versions, though those are also variations on the Irish/English Stout.

No I can't really think of a Stout/Porter like beer that did not have roots on those two islands.

Craig

john from dc said:

baltic porter's pretty close, although arguably modeled after english porter.

if you're looking for stouts and porters beyond the british isles, you'd be remiss to neglect the wide range of american versions, though.

Click to expand...

It's not that I'm neglecting the American styles, certainly not -- just looking to broaden my horizons.

With regard to what I like about them -- smoothness, the complexity of the roasted malt profile, that roastiness in the nose. Perhaps porters and stouts pretty much are porters and stouts, and that's that. I thought there might be a dark German or Belgian beer that was along the same lines as a porter or stout, only with some continental twist, different enough to be its own style, but perhaps I'm wrong?

Pelikan said:

I'm curious if there are any traditional varieties from the continent (ie: Europe outside of England/Ireland) that can be loosely called a stout or porter. I love English and Irish brews, but I'm thinking perhaps I should expand my horizons, and look to brew a dark beer from one of those countries on the other side of the channel.

Not really interested in the American derivations. Although they're quite nice, for the most part they're a play on the English/Irish styles.

Click to expand...

Belgian dark strong? Not really that close, but it is dark. There are a lot of dark German lagers. I'm not really sure what you're looking for. The stout and porter styles are pretty traditional, no matter where they're made. There's no real derivation of that anywhere. There are different breweries making them, but you're not going to get something similar without them calling it a stout or a porter.

yeah, rochefort makes beers as dark as a porter. but in terms of flavor they're pretty different. tasty though!

there are also a few brands that make what they call a "belgian stout." troubador, buffalo, and allagash come to mind. i've had all three and they're pretty tasty but again, a pretty big departure from traditional english porters and stouts.

there's also a style called "black lager" which uses dark roasted grains. i'd say it's somewhat stout-like.

also if you like roasty it might be worth giving smoky a try. rauchbier and smoked porters can be had if you look around.

john from dc said:

there are also a few brands that make what they call a "belgian stout."

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Ellezelloise Brewery in Belgium make a stout that's 8 or 9% ABV, called Hercule. It's one of the best beers I've ever had, and is well worth seeking out if you can get it.

Sounds quite nice. I wanted to venture into continental styles, but I guess they just aren't for me. Chimay is okay on occasion, but by the by continental beers are too fruity, spicy, or sweet for my tastes.

Pelikan said:

With regard to what I like about them -- smoothness, the complexity of the roasted malt profile, that roastiness in the nose. Perhaps porters and stouts pretty much are porters and stouts, and that's that. I thought there might be a dark German or Belgian beer that was along the same lines as a porter or stout, only with some continental twist, different enough to be its own style, but perhaps I'm wrong?

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Does sound like a Baltic Porter to me....at least the recipe I tried from Charlie Papazian was brewed like a lager and quite different then any "British" style ale (while there might be an old lineage from Imperial Stouts, most current recipes are from the Baltic region and IMO have become their own thing). Another recipe that had roots from Germany was a Pumpernickel Rye Stout. It's more like an Irish dry stout....but does have a slight nutty flavor.

davesrose said:

Does sound like a Baltic Porter to me....at least the recipe I tried from Charlie Papazian was brewed like a lager and quite different then any "British" style ale (while there might be an old lineage from Imperial Stouts, most current recipes are from the Baltic region and IMO have become their own thing). Another recipe that had roots from Germany was a Pumpernickel Rye Stout. It's more like an Irish dry stout....but does have a slight nutty flavor.

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Awesome. Pumpernickel Rye Stout, earmarked! :rockin:

Yeah, both recipes are from this book, actually. Worth getting IMO...especially if you want to experiment with some recipes around the world!!

Amazon.com: Microbrewed Adventures: A Lupulin Filled Journey to the Heart and Flavor of the World's Great Craft Beers: Charles Papazian: Books

You know, it's kinda funny...I just cracked open the Joy of Home Brewing and there's a whole chapter of recipes. Some of them are -- ehhh -- nothing I'd actually try, but a good portion of them seem solid, or can be the basis of something solid.