This might sound dumb, but...

[Garrete]

on Wikipedia, they say Guinness is a porter, but why does it say Extra Stout on my 6-pack of Guinness? Is Wikipedia wrong?

[BadRock]

Edit - They say "The beer is based on the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century. "

This is true!


13A. Dry Stout
Aroma: Coffee-like roasted barley and roasted malt aromas are
prominent; may have slight chocolate, cocoa and/or grainy
secondary notes. Esters medium-low to none. No diacetyl.
Hop aroma low to none.
Appearance: Jet black to deep brown with garnet highlights in
color. Can be opaque (if not, it should be clear). A thick,
creamy, long-lasting, tan- to brown-colored head is characteristic.
Flavor: Moderate roasted, grainy sharpness, optionally with
light to moderate acidic sourness, and medium to high hop
bitterness. Dry, coffee-like finish from roasted grains. May
have a bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate character in the
palate, lasting into the finish. Balancing factors may include
some creaminess, medium-low to no fruitiness, and medium
to no hop flavor. No diacetyl.
Mouthfeel: Medium-light to medium-full body, with a creamy
character. Low to moderate carbonation. For the high hop bitterness
and significant proportion of dark grains present, this
beer is remarkably smooth. The perception of body can be
affected by the overall gravity with smaller beers being lighter
in body. May have a light astringency from the roasted grains,
although harshness is undesirable.
Overall Impression: A very dark, roasty, bitter, creamy ale.
History: The style evolved from attempts to capitalize on the
success of London porters, but originally reflected a fuller,
creamier, more “stout” body and strength. When a brewery
offered a stout and a porter, the stout was always the stronger
beer (it was originally called a “Stout Porter”). Modern versions
are brewed from a lower OG and no longer reflect a
higher strength than porters.
Comments: This is the draught version of what is otherwise
known as Irish stout or Irish dry stout. Bottled versions are
typically brewed from a significantly higher OG and may be
designated as foreign extra stouts (if sufficiently strong). While
most commercial versions rely primarily on roasted barley as
the dark grain, others use chocolate malt, black malt or combinations
of the three. The level of bitterness is somewhat
variable, as is the roasted character and the dryness of the finish;
allow for interpretation by brewers.
Ingredients: The dryness comes from the use of roasted unmalted
barley in addition to pale malt, moderate to high hop
bitterness, and good attenuation. Flaked unmalted barley may
also be used to add creaminess. A small percentage (perhaps
3%) of soured beer is sometimes added for complexity (generally
by Guinness only). Water typically has moderate carbonate
hardness, although high levels will not give the classic dry
finish.
Vital Statistics:
OG:
1.036 – 1.050
IBUs:
30 – 45
FG:
1.007 – 1.011
SRM:
25 – 40
ABV:
4 – 5%
Commercial Examples: Guinness Draught Stout (also
canned), Murphy's Stout, Beamish Stout, O’Hara’s Celtic
Stout, Russian River O.V.L. Stout, Three Floyd’s Black Sun
Stout, Dorothy Goodbody’s Wholesome Stout, Orkney
Dragonhead Stout, Old Dominion Stout, Goose Island Dublin
Stout, Brooklyn Dry Stout

[chadem1]

More on Wikipedia...

While there is a great deal of disagreement in the brewing world on this subject, at one time, porter was considered an alternative name for stout. It was originally used in the 18th century. Historically, there are no differences between stout and porter, though there has been a tendency for breweries to differentiate the strengths of their dark beers with the words "extra", "double" and "stout". The term "stout" was initially used to indicate a stronger porter than other porters issued by an individual brewery — though one brewery's porter could easily be stronger than a neighbouring brewery's stout. Though not consistent, this is the usage that was most commonly employed.

In modern brewing a stout is differentiated from a porter by the addition of roasted barley. In today's style guidelines there is a difference between stout and porter and it is not related to alcohol strength.