Yeah, it's a style, according to the BJCP anyway. Check it out. Even if you don't agree with their methodology 100%, their guidelines contain some good descriptions and pointers. And for better or worse, if you're wanting to enter your beers into competitions, at the very least they must be very "true-to-style"...Jocky wrote:In that style? You mean a Stout (porter)?Barley Water wrote:Of course, if you want more of a Robust Porter you can drive the gravity up to about 1.065 and then you can use some black malt because the more agressive flavor is welcome in that style.
They split porters into: Brown Porter, Robust Porter, Baltic Porter
http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style12.php
And stouts are differentiated as: Dry Stout, Sweet Stout, Oatmeal Stout, Foreign Extra Stout, American Stout, Russian Imperial Stout
http://www.bjcp.org/2008styles/style13.php
P.S. Barley Water is an experienced BJCP judge, so he knows this stuff like the back of his hand.