THE debate about what differentiates a stout from a porter is one of those age-old back and forths which rarely comes to any satisfactory conclusion.
As if things weren't murky enough when it comes to dark beer, the black IPA has elbowed its way in to further muddy the waters.
Now, whatever the minute differences between stout and porter, a black IPA is easily identifiable as a more hoppy version of either.
The black beer which came into the world as porter is probably the best starting point for the style, with stout eventually becoming a more robust version of it - hence their original branding as 'stout porter'.
However, there are distinguishable differences in the brewing processes too, with stout more likely to use roasted malts while porters will start off with chocolate malt.
The result is that a porter will deliver a more mellow taste with a stout fronting up with roasty malt flavours which almost lend it a bit of bitterness.
You should also expect a porter to be thinner in the mouthfeel, as was the case when I picked up a can of the eponymous Porter by Norn Iron Brew Co.
It may just have been the batch, but the first thing you notice about this beer is the lively carbonation.
It took a few pours to get it into the glass as the slightly tan, foamy head briefly dominated the glass.
It does settle down, but the carbonation sticks around to provide a tingly mouthfeel.
It's black in the glass, with tan tinges around the side and there are slight chocolatey aromas.
For a beer that is perhaps a little light on the mouthfeel, there are plenty of complex flavours going on. There's some smooth, dark chocolate notes with a little hint of espresso and bits of burnt toast too.
There's a bit of sticky sweetness to it, but it's low-key and doesn't dominate and easily balanced out by hints of liquorice.
Clocking in at a relatively hefty 6.5 per cent, there's little hint of the alcohol content and beneath the prickly carbonation, there's a satisfying smoothness to it all.
