Here's the thing nobody puts on the can: Porterhouse Brewery in Dublin is the contract brewer for Forged Irish Stout. The same brewhouse — same kit, same brewers, same water source, same 100%-Irish ingredient supply — produces both beers. Which means this is the most revealing comparison on the site: it's a head-to-head between what one brewing team can do when designing for a brand brief versus when designing for their own house range.
Side-by-side specs
| Spec | Forged Irish Stout | Porterhouse Plain Porter |
|---|---|---|
| ABV | 4.2% | 5.0% |
| Style | Nitro Irish dry stout | Irish porter (CO₂ or nitro) |
| Brewery | Porterhouse, Dublin (under contract) | Porterhouse, Dublin (in-house flagship) |
| Brand owner | Forged Dublin Brewery / Conor McGregor | Porterhouse Brewing Co. |
| Brewery founded | 1996 (Porterhouse) · 2020 (Forged brand) | 1996 (Porterhouse) |
| Awards | Heavily marketed; awards record limited | Multiple Brewing Industry International Awards (gold/silver), continuous accolades since the late 1990s |
How they taste
Same brewery, two completely different briefs. Plain Porter has more of everything Forged tries to do quietly: more roasted-grain depth, more chocolate, more bitter-roast finish, more body. The 5% ABV gives it room Forged doesn't have. The hopping is more present. The mouthfeel — when poured from a CO₂ keg — is fuller and less "uniformly creamy" than nitro Forged.
This is not a knock on Forged's brewers. It's a knock on the brief. Forged is built to occupy the mainstream nitro-Irish-dry-stout slot — clean, smooth, session-friendly, supermarket-shelf-friendly. Plain Porter is built to be the best beer the brewery's name will be attached to. The difference is in the ambition, not the talent.
"Plain Porter has been winning international beer awards continuously since the late 1990s. Forged Irish Stout is a marketing brand brewed in the same brewhouse." — independent observation, not a brewer's quote.
Why this comparison matters
If McGregor's eventual acquisition of Porterhouse goes through (announced 2024), the Forged brand will own the brewery that's been quietly running circles around it. That changes the strategic question from "is Forged a good Irish stout?" to "is Forged the best stout this brewery is capable of?" The answer to the second is unambiguously no.
The verdict
Forged vs Porterhouse Plain Porter
The brewhouse can do better — Plain Porter is the proof
Plain Porter is the beer Porterhouse make when nobody is briefing them down to a "creamy session can." It's stronger, more characterful, and — by award record — better. If you're in a Porterhouse pub or near a Porterhouse stockist, order Plain Porter. Forged is fine; Plain Porter is interesting.
Pick Forged if…
- You want a 4.2% session option (Plain Porter at 5% has different occasion-fit)
- You need a widget can specifically
- You're shopping at a supermarket — Forged has broader retail than Porterhouse
Pick Porterhouse Plain Porter if…
- You want the best beer this brewhouse makes
- You value brewery-led product over brand-led product
- You appreciate award-winning craft credentials over celebrity endorsement
- You're at a Porterhouse pub (Dublin, London, New York) — try it on tap
Read next
- The full Forged Irish Stout review
- Forged vs O'Hara's Leann Folláin
- More on Porterhouse Brewing Co.
- All comparisons