Beer Dark ale (brown/robust/Baltic) 5.8% ABV Vegan

Porter

London, UK

Stout's ancestor. Chocolate and brown malts contribute melanoidins and Maillard byproducts like roasted barley does in stout, usually at slightly higher ABV than a dry stout. Baltic porters are lager-fermented but 7-9% ABV, trading amines for alcohol.

Ingredients / botanicals: pale malt, brown malt, chocolate malt, hops, ale yeast

Hangover index

6/10

Heavy

vs. category average 6/10

Chemistry profile

Congeners: Moderate
Histamines: High
Polyphenols: Moderate
Sulfites: Low
Tannins: Moderate
Sugar: Moderate
Additives: Low

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In its favor

✓Moderate hop load
✓Filling, which slows consumption
✓Baltic versions use cleaner lager fermentation

What to watch

!Dark malt Maillard compounds add congener load
!Higher ABV than dry stout
!Gluten content

Factor by factor

Congeners Moderate

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Byproducts of fermentation (methanol, acetaldehyde, fusel alcohols). Strongly linked to hangover severity; darker, less-distilled spirits carry more.

Histamines High

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Produced by bacteria during fermentation/aging. Trigger flushing, headaches, congestion in sensitive drinkers. High in red wine, beer, aged spirits.

Polyphenols Moderate

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Plant compounds with antioxidant activity. Slightly protective at low doses but at high concentrations may worsen hangover via tannin/quercetin reactions.

Sulfites Low

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Preservatives (SO₂) added to wine and some beers. Common trigger of headaches, asthma, and allergic-type reactions.

Tannins Moderate

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Astringent polyphenols from skins, seeds, barrels. Bind proteins, slow alcohol clearance, and aggravate dehydration-style symptoms.

Sugar Moderate

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Residual sugar amplifies hangover via blood-sugar swings and dehydration. Liqueurs and cocktails are the main offenders.

Additives Low

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Colorants, flavorings, glycerin, propylene glycol, sorbates. Cheap spirits and ready-to-drinks often hide these in trade-secret formulas.

Allergen flags: glutenbarleyhopsyeast

Porter lives in stout territory: dark malt chemistry, ale amines, mid-range ABV. The Baltic variant swaps ale yeast for lager yeast but nearly doubles the alcohol.

Porter questions

Is Porter gluten-free? ▾

No. Porter is brewed from barley and never distilled, so the gluten stays in the glass. It is not safe for coeliacs; look for a beer brewed from sorghum, rice or millet instead.

Does Porter give you a bad hangover? ▾

Porter scores 6/10 on the SpiritFacts Hangover Index, against 6/10 for beer overall. The main drivers are its histamines.

Is Porter vegan? ▾

Yes. Porter is listed as vegan, with no animal-derived ingredients or fining agents.