American Stout takes the roasted-malt backbone of a classic stout -- coffee, dark chocolate, some char -- and adds a more pronounced American hop bitterness than English or Irish versions typically carry, usually 5.5-7% ABV. It's fuller-bodied and less sweet than a Milk/Sweet Stout, and less intensely concentrated than an Imperial Stout, making it the standard-strength baseline stout on a tap list: roasty, moderately bitter, built for year-round drinking rather than a big occasional pour.