Written By: Peter Evans
Date: December 11, 2009 Ales are beers made through a process of rapid fermentation with hops added. These will usually use “wild yeast” and are more exotic in taste and full bodied than lagers.

Pale Ale is generally considered the most popular ale. The basic characteristics of ale are an assertive bitterness, mild fruitiness and a malty sweetness to add balance. Good pale ale will exhibit all of these characteristics but strives to achieve balance.

Stout is the black prince of ales. Stouts are typically dark brown to pitch black in color, ranging from light stouts to the very strong Imperial Stout. Typically stouts are dry due to the barely roasting process used to make them so dark. But there’s nothing like a good, dark stout!

The porter style is the father of Stout and the first engineered beer. A good porter is actually a blend of several other types of stouts and ales to achieve a specific taste. In some ways a black and tan would be considered a porter, but not really.

Hefeweizen is a German Wheat beer (You didn’t think we could leave out the Germans did you?) that is unfiltered. They have a cloudy appearance, but that’s okay because they are supposed to. Generally they are fruity, with aromas and flavors abounding.
Bitter: Ordinary, Special and Extra Special Bitters range from 3-6 percent alcohol by volume, are gold to copper in color and are light- to full-bodied. Hop bitterness is moderate for the Ordinary and more assertive for the Special and Extra Special.

Lagers are typically beer with a low proportion of hops that are stored for a period of time before drinking.

Bocks are strong, malty lagers that can range from 6-9% alcohol by volume. Some types of bock are often aged for months before bottling.

The American lager is what most people are used to as beer. Usually a lot of rice and corn is used when making these beers so they lack the taste and body that older recipes and styles have. Still, they aren’t bad, just not as good to some people.

Pilsners are typically lighter than most lagers with a laid back taste, a spicy hop flavor and aromatic smell from the use of Saaz hops. Typically a pilsner will be clear and bubbly, overall it is a “busy beer” and the aroma if outstanding.

 Now that you can categorize the different types of beers, feel free to take what you like about each type and possibly come up with your own brew. Understanding how each type of beer is made will help you to incorporate each characteristic in your own beer and achieve the perfect brew for you!