Guinness Extra Stout

Dry stout is a dark ale that uses roasted barley as a base, contributing to its opaque black color. That roasted barley also gives it a dry-roasted flavor with heavy notes of coffee, bittersweet chocolate and roasted malt. Many bartenders choose to serve dry stout using nitrogen gas taps, giving it a creamy, smooth body. While the presence of hops does contribute some bitterness to dry stout, this is balanced by the pleasant creaminess. Dry stout tends to have an alcohol by volume (ABV) between 3.8% and 5%, putting it on the low end of the spectrum of alcohol.

Dry stout’s opaque, black color hints at the flavors that await within. The use of roasted barley gives this beer a dry-roasted character, with heavy notes of coffee, bittersweet chocolate and a medium to medium-high hop bitterness. In order to preserve the beer’s creamy, smooth body — an attribute that works wonders to balance out bitterness — many bartenders dispense dry stout using nitrogen gas taps. Dry stouts tend to have an alcohol by volume (ABV) level between 3.8% and 5%, making them a fairly light beer in that regard.

Dry stout comes with an alcohol by volume (ABV) between 3.8% and 5%. As with other stouts, this very reasonable amount of alcohol makes it quite drinkable. Dry stout has a creamy, light body that’s smooth and balances the medium to medium-high bitterness created by the hops. Dry stout also enjoys notes of coffee, chocolate and roasted barley, which are on brand with its opaque, black color.

Dry stout is not gluten-free, friends — this black beer’s dry-roasted, flavorful character comes directly from the use of roasted barley in its makeup. Barley is a grain that’s chock full of gluten. In a dry stout, roasted barley creates a rich, smooth flavor that carries coffee, chocolate and roasted malt notes. The hops (which are actually not a source of additional gluten) add a pleasant bitterness that ranges from medium to medium-high. All of this is to say that dry stout is a complex, rich beer that’s sadly not gluten-free — but who knows what innovators will come up with in the coming years?

Dry stout is an ale. As such, that means stout is made using top-fermenting yeast in warm temperatures (usually between 60°F and 70°F). This sets it apart from lagers made using bottom-fermenting yeast in colder temperatures between 35°F and 50°F. Dry stouts are usually black, carrying notes of coffee, chocolate and bittersweet hops. The color and flavors come mainly from the use of roasted barley, which give it a generous, complex profile. 

Dry stout weighs in at 125 calories and 10 grams of carbs for a 12 oz. serving, making it relatively light as far as beers go. Your average 12 oz. glass of beer comes with 150 calories and 13 grams of carbs, for comparison. Dry stout is a dark, opaque beer made with roasted barley, which imparts notes of coffee and chocolate to its flavor profile. It’s often served using nitrogen gas taps, which create a creaminess that balances out the medium to medium-high hop bitterness.