Porter was originally an English, specifically London, dark beer style that was the drink of the masses long before lagers were conceived or modern ales were fashionable. Porters are red-brown to black in color, medium to medium-full bodied, and characterized by a flavor profile that can vary from very subtle dark malts to fully roasted, smoky flavors. Being a centuries-old style, there are differences of opinion with regard to what a “true” porter was actually like and there can be wide variations from one brewer’s interpretation to the next. Roasted malt should provide the flavoring character, rather than roasted barley as is used with stouts. Stronger, darker versions (“robust” porter) and lighter more delicate versions (“brown” porter) are equally valid manifestations of the style. The influence of hops can often be notable in the richer craft brewed examples of the style. Although porter was the drink of the masses in 1700s London, it fell out of favor, and is only now seeing a resurgence, with a few outstanding English examples in production. In the United States, it is enjoying new-found popularity among U.S. craft brewers and many fine U.S. examples are produced.
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