A Guide To Different Beer Types
- By Steven Hooch
- Published 11/17/2011
- Food and Drink
- Unrated
Beer connoisseurs use the term beer style to categorise beers according to certain sets of criteria including appearance, strength and flavours. Of course, the best beers are the so-called real ales since the wonderful aromas, tastes and textures that make beer the best beverage in the world are preserved in these cask-conditioned ales. Also called cask beers or real beer, these ales are served from the traditional hand-pulls instead of the modern fonts, matured through second fermentation, and generally revered by beer lovers around the world.
In the following sections, the factors that influence beer style as well as the beer styles themselves will be briefly discussed.
Factors Influencing Beer Style:
Numerous factors come into play when discussing beer style that a novice will have a hard time distinguishing one from the other. This is especially true when there are no descriptive names provided when the real ales are presented for categorisation for beer style, say, to distinguish Scotch ale and Baltic porter. Yes, it does take practice. The study of beer styles includes provenance, ingredients, local traditions and empirical impression. The last factor is the easiest to learn since it is conveniently broken down into the elements of appearance, aroma, taste and mouth-feel, among others.
Popular Beer Styles:
From these factors, real ales can then be classified into the following beer styles. Take note that each style has so many examples that cannot be discussed in length so only a few examples are given here.
First, the Anglo-American styles obviously come from the beer traditions of Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. American strong and pale ales, English strong and pale ales, India pale ale and Irish ale are just a few examples of beers under this
style. Altbier is a copper-coloured, top-fermented and well-hopped beer from Germany. These are brewed from dark malts. Scotch ales are rich, malty and accented with peat-smoked whiskey malt although other flavours can include raisins, plums and nuts. Imperial IPA contains a balance skewed toward the hops than the malts, thus, its high alcohol content.
Second, Belgian style ales are characterized by golden to amber colours with a few dark brown varieties; ABV levels of 7.5% maximum; and varying levels of malt-and-hop combinations. The light blond versions have a spicy hop and fruity flavours while the dark versions are malt-oriented with a moderate hop flavour. Examples of these real ales under the Belgian style are Belgian ale, Belgian strong ale, Belgian IPA, and Biere de Garde.
Third, the stouts and porters are related in so many ways although there are also numerous distinguishing characteristics between the two beer styles. Porters have light to dark brown colours with a tint of ruby. The flavours usually include moderate roasted malt with bitter chocolate, coffee and licorice undertones with the hop flavours almost non-existent. Stouts are darker in colour from dark brown to black. The flavours lean on the strong roasted malt with coffee, bitter-sweet or dark chocolates, and caramel undertones. The style is characterized by high bitterness and low sweetness levels.
Fourth, lagers are made from malted barley brewed and stored under low temperatures. There are pale and dark lagers, too. Examples of lagers are the American dark lager, Bohemian pilsner, classic German pilsner, steam beer, European strong lager, and Oktoberfest.
Take note that these are just a few of the real ales available in the market. Other types include the speciality beers and the wheat ales. When in doubt, it is always best to ask the bartender or the brewer about the beer style being offered at your table. Better yet, be adventurous with your beer!
In the following sections, the factors that influence beer style as well as the beer styles themselves will be briefly discussed.
Factors Influencing Beer Style:
Numerous factors come into play when discussing beer style that a novice will have a hard time distinguishing one from the other. This is especially true when there are no descriptive names provided when the real ales are presented for categorisation for beer style, say, to distinguish Scotch ale and Baltic porter. Yes, it does take practice. The study of beer styles includes provenance, ingredients, local traditions and empirical impression. The last factor is the easiest to learn since it is conveniently broken down into the elements of appearance, aroma, taste and mouth-feel, among others.
Popular Beer Styles:
From these factors, real ales can then be classified into the following beer styles. Take note that each style has so many examples that cannot be discussed in length so only a few examples are given here.
First, the Anglo-American styles obviously come from the beer traditions of Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. American strong and pale ales, English strong and pale ales, India pale ale and Irish ale are just a few examples of beers under this
Second, Belgian style ales are characterized by golden to amber colours with a few dark brown varieties; ABV levels of 7.5% maximum; and varying levels of malt-and-hop combinations. The light blond versions have a spicy hop and fruity flavours while the dark versions are malt-oriented with a moderate hop flavour. Examples of these real ales under the Belgian style are Belgian ale, Belgian strong ale, Belgian IPA, and Biere de Garde.
Third, the stouts and porters are related in so many ways although there are also numerous distinguishing characteristics between the two beer styles. Porters have light to dark brown colours with a tint of ruby. The flavours usually include moderate roasted malt with bitter chocolate, coffee and licorice undertones with the hop flavours almost non-existent. Stouts are darker in colour from dark brown to black. The flavours lean on the strong roasted malt with coffee, bitter-sweet or dark chocolates, and caramel undertones. The style is characterized by high bitterness and low sweetness levels.
Fourth, lagers are made from malted barley brewed and stored under low temperatures. There are pale and dark lagers, too. Examples of lagers are the American dark lager, Bohemian pilsner, classic German pilsner, steam beer, European strong lager, and Oktoberfest.
Take note that these are just a few of the real ales available in the market. Other types include the speciality beers and the wheat ales. When in doubt, it is always best to ask the bartender or the brewer about the beer style being offered at your table. Better yet, be adventurous with your beer!
Steven Hooch
Steven Hooch is a leading connoisseur for a variety of fine wines and ales. He has been sharing his insights and reviews for over 11 years striving to provide expert advice and information on a wide range of alcoholic beverages including Beer.
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