Porter vs Stout - the battle continues

When is a Porter not a Porter? What makes a Stout? I see this as a continuum of dark-malted ales that ranges from Mild Ale through to Stout with some convenient and delicious stopovers along the way. But it's the blurring of lines that can be confusing so lets try and clear that up in a rigorous scientific experiment... or really just me tasting two beers.

I realise that I've gone into this before, but it's encouraged some debate amongst fellow beer drinkers, and beer is good and therefore worthy of consideration. Beer is good as we know. Beer can be great and there are a lot of brewers all over the country embracing the noble pursuit of great beer. Harringtons in Christchurch is one such brewery. Like so many microbreweries it's a family run affair that started with a humble range of beers and expanded to produce a wide range of delicious malt and hops goodness. If you haven't sampled their wares yet I'd strongly suggest you make your way to their shop and rectify that.

Without further ado the direct Stout/Porter comparison Clydesdale Dry Irish Stout and Wobbly Boot Porter Ale.

Appearance

Stout: Thick tan head and an impenetrable dark brown to black colour.
Porter: Bigger fluffier head, still brown/black, but slightly less dense

Aroma

Stout: Warm and malty with hints of cocoa and a slightly unsettling metallic characteristic.
Porter: Very similar to the stout if slightly less malty, and maybe some hazelnut.

Taste

Stout: Thick and reassuring, wintery roasted malt and a lovely lingering bitterness that slowly resolved into a deep almost burnt sugar maltiness. Beautifully carbonated. Very nice, complex malts and a dry finish.
Porter: True to style slightly less body and more carbonation than the stout. Much more like a rich dark ale with nutty and bread like maltiness and more than a hint of caramel.

Verdict

They're both excellent but the Porter just nudges ahead due to the balance of complex maltiness and caramel flavours, but that's just my opinion and we're really here comparing two types of beer. The Stout is heavier, thicker and less carbonated and dryer to finish. The Porter is more subtle in it's use of roasted malts, and drinks more like a darker Dark Ale, is less heavy and more carbonated. Traditionally a Stout would be higher alcohol but here both are 5%.

Like I said earlier, it's a continuum of darker coloured Ales made using roasted malt that ranges from Mild Ale through Dark Ale and Porter and ends with Stout. Yes the lines are blurred but it's rewarding to try and make the distinction.