The Robust Porter features more bitter and roasted malt flavor than a brown porter, but not quite as much as a stout. Robust porters have a roast malt flavor, often reminiscent of cocoa, but no roast barley flavor. Their caramel and malty sweetness is in harmony with the sharp bitterness of black malt. Hop bitterness is evident. With U.S. craft brewers doing so much experimentation in beer styles and ingredients, the lines between certain stouts and porters are often blurred. Yet many deliberate examples of these styles do exist. Diacetyl is acceptable at very low levels.
Robust Porter
Category: Porters
Food Pairings
- Roasted or Grilled Meats
- Gruyere
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies
Commercial Examples
- Pig Iron Porter, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant
- Moonlight Porter, Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
- Black Butte Porter, Deschutes Brewery
Appearance
Color
Very Dark to Black
Clarity
Opaque
Carbonation (Visual)
Slow to Fast Rising Bubbles
Flavor/Aroma
Alcohol
Mild
Hop
Hop aroma and flavor are very low to medium. Hop bitterness is medium to high
Malt
Grainy, Bready, Toffee, Caramel, Chocolate, Coffee. Caramel and other malty sweetness is in harmony with the sharp bitterness of black malt, without a highly burnt/charcoal flavor
Esters
Fruity esters should be evident, balanced with all other characters
Phenols
Not common to style
Fermentation By-Products
Diacetyl is acceptable at very low levels
Sensations
Body
Mouth-Coating
Carbonation
Low to High
Finish Length
Medium
Attenuation
Medium - High
Ingredients
Hops
Kent Goldings, Fuggles
Malt
Munich, Crystal, Chocolate, Black Patent
Water
Varies
Yeast
Ale
