There's more to dark beer than Guinness

Are you afraid of the dark? Dark beer, we mean. We only ask because picking up a dark beer like a stout or porter isn’t the first choice for many in Australia. Our warmer weather makes lighter beers the go-to, but that’s something that’s starting to change as more breweries experiment with the style and drinkers get curious about the dark side.

What makes stout different from other beers is its rich flavour, full body and distinctive dark colour. All three are the result of brewing the beer with dark-roasted malted barley, which also produces a chocolatey, coffee-like flavour that’s balanced with a hoppy bitterness. There are a few different styles of stout, usually broken up into two categories: dry and sweet. Dry stout, or Irish stout as it’s also known, has a pleasant bitterness to it. While sweet styles like oatmeal or milk stout have been sweetened with the addition of oats or the milk sugar lactose during the brewing process.

When we say “dark beer” what’s the first thing you think of? It’s Guinness, isn’t it? And that’s fair enough because Guinness is without a doubt the most famous dark beer in the world, conjuring up images of weathered Irishmen who’ve spent 50 years on the sea. But it’s far from being the only dark beer – with many being far less intense. Look outside the boundaries of Guinness and you’ll realise there’s a whole spectrum of stouts from small and large breweries all over the world, who are crafting the rich, hearty beer in their own unique way.

Below we’ve pulled together three Australian made stouts that changed the way we think about dark beer. From styles inspired by the classics to luxuriously modern takes, these are the brews we’d suggest next time you want to dabble in the dark (beer) arts.