A type of beer. Stout is a very dark brew typified by the commonly available Guinness and Murphy's. The darkness of colour and richness of taste comes from the way the barley is treated. With amber beers the barley is watered and allowed to germinate to produce the malt. The germination is then halted by drying the grains over heat. The difference with stout is that the barley is allowed to burn slightly when being dried, carbonising the outside of the grains. Hence when the mash is made it creates a dark opaque mix and the final beer still has the bitter taste of the burnt barley. This is probably why some people think stout tastes of rich coffee, the beans of some coffee types are similarly roasted so they are partially carbonised.