London’s Best Stouts & Porters: Guinness Alternatives

The article explores five exceptional London-brewed stouts and porters, positioned as rewarding alternatives to Guinness, particularly suitable for the colder months. These local dark beers showcase diverse flavour profiles and unique characteristics, highlighting the vibrant craftsmanship within London’s brewing scene. The core benefit of these alternatives lies in their distinct sensory experiences, moving beyond a single brand to embrace a spectrum of robust, warming, and often complex brews.

Among the recommendations, Five Points’ Railway Porter stands as a classic London porter, celebrated for its evocative smokiness, which conjures images of an Edwardian station, beautifully balanced with bitter chocolate and roasted coffee notes. This robust, fortifying beer is ideally served in a jug by a crackling fire, perfect for a cozy evening. Anspach & Hobday’s London Black directly competes with Guinness, presenting a creamy, silky, and chilled nitro stout that is less dry and features more pronounced coffee notes, earning significant acclaim from dedicated stout enthusiasts as a superior “creamer.”

Kernel’s Export India Porter offers a deeply memorable draught of coal-black beer, distinguished by its hypnotizing tobacco-y and molasses-y character, further enlivened by various hop strands depending on the batch, such as citra. This brew is described as being on a pedestal of its own for its unique complexity. For a seasonal indulgence, the Eccles Stout, a collaboration between 40ft Brewery and St. JOHN, is an Irish-style stout infused with a puree of currants, nutmeg, and allspice. This unctuous winter warmer provides a delightful, dessert-like experience, though it might not appeal to dry stout purists.

Lastly, Small Beer’s “Stout” offers a thoughtful lower-alcohol alternative at 2.5% ABV, presented as a compelling choice for those seeking a reduced-buzz option akin to Guinness 0.0%. It features inviting roasted barley notes, a coffee aroma, and a subtle milk chocolate sweetness, allowing drinkers to enjoy several wintry beers without the risk of a severe hangover. These examples collectively illustrate the rich and varied landscape of London’s stout and porter offerings, encouraging exploration beyond mainstream choices and celebrating the city’s brewing innovation.

(Source: https://londonist.com/london/drink/guinness-alternatives-stouts-porters)