American Porter

Tier B · BJCP 20A · Ale, fermented warm. The American craft rebuild of a British style.

ABV

4.8-6.5%

IBU

25-50

SRM

22-40

Serve

50-55F

Glass

Pint or tulip

Hops

American

Identify

Medium brown to very dark brown, sometimes close to black, with ruby or garnet highlights at the edge. A full tan head that holds reasonably well. The smell is roasted coffee and dark chocolate, often with a resiny or citrus hop note sitting over the top of it. Medium to medium full body, clearly fuller than the English version. Dark chocolate and a lightly burnt roast arrive first. Then the bitterness comes in two waves: once from the dark grain and again, later and longer, from the hops. A slight dryness on the gums at the end is normal here.

Place

United States, from the mid 1970s. Anchor Brewing in San Francisco brewed a porter from 1972 and bottled it in 1974.

Cause

This style is the English one with four dials moved. Nothing here is exotic. Knowing which dials moved lets you predict what an American version of any British style will taste like. This is the style that breaks the tidy story, so it is worth being blunt about it.

Confused with

English Porter, which is browner, softer and weaker. American Stout, which pushes both roast and hops further still. Baltic Porter, which is much stronger and usually a lager. Imperial Stout, which is far bigger again.

Numbers

An American Porter is the English style rebuilt with more of everything. More starting sugar, so more alcohol and more body. More dark malt, so real coffee and a light burnt edge. More hops, and American ones, so the bitterness arrives twice. The two waves of bitterness are the giveaway, and it is a sensation rather than a flavour.

Will you like it, Order and Try

Dark chocolate at around 70%. Not the very bitter stuff, but past milk chocolate. That is roughly where this beer sits. Coffee, black or with a splash of milk. Either works here, because the roast is padded but still real. Bitter finishes generally.

Pair, Judge, Myth and Remember

Delicate fish, light salads and fresh citrus. The roast and the hop bitterness together roll straight over them. Very hot chilli is a poor match as well, because roast bitterness and chilli heat amplify each other rather than balancing. A full tan head that stays for a few minutes.