Dark beers are a misunderstood lot, prized by connoisseurs but often overlooked by the general public. Dark beers are derived from brewing with toasted malts, though the styles can differ by weight from heavy stouts, to dark ales and porters. Confusingly, the names are used somewhat interchangeable. One rule of thumb is that a stout is essentially a thicker, richer porter and usually made from unmalted roasted barley (instead of malted) which imparts the trademark coffee flavour.
