Lager
Cold brewing allows the beer to ferment at the bottom of the barrel rather than at the top (Ales are top fermenting beers). The invention of refrigeration has allowed brewers to mass-produce the lager-style beer. Lagers are generally lighter, smoother than ales. Bottom fermenting lagers have a less pronounced taste difference between Malt and Hops. In other words Lagers are more balanced. Try a Samuel Adams Lager or for a more strongly flavored Lager, find a Lapin Kulta IV or a try a Hacker-Pschorr Edelhell for a more traditional example.
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Kolsch
A rare beer style, originating in Cologne, Germany. Kolsch is a smoother and more herbal version of a Pilsner. Clean and refreshing. Gaffel is an excellent example.
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Pilsner
More people drink Pilsner than any other beer style. Pilsner or Pils is a form of a lager. Originally from Pilsen, Czech Republic. Light, clean, full of flowery, sharp “Saaz” hops. Straw/yellow to gold in color. Dry finish. A good representation of the Pils style is Pilsner Urquell or you should try Warsteiner.
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Pale Ale
A classic British style ale. Not really pale but lighter than Porters and Brown Ales. Well hopped, medium to full malt body dark golden to deep copper in color. A good example: Geary’s Pale Ale and Young’s Special London Ale.
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India Pale Ale (IPA)
IPA’s are an extra hopped Pale Ale. The extra hopping helped preserve England’s beer during long ocean voyages when Britannia was colonizing India. IPA’s generally have a little more alcohol kick than regular Pale Ales. A prime example would be Nutfield IPA and Samuel Adams IPA.
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Extra Special Bitter (ESB)
Not as bitter as the name implies. Comparable to a Pale Ale, only a bit more body. Redhook ESB hits the mark, Fuller ESB hits the bull’s-eye.
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Brown Ale
When compared to a Pale Ale, the Brown Ale Malt is roasted a bit longer, the water should be softer, the hops slightly less hoppy and a bit sweeter. Generally Brown Ales are lower in alcohol than pales. Newcastle comes immediately to mind, Corsendonk is a stronger variation of Brown Ale.
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Porter
An Ale, which is darker and stronger than Brown Ale. Typically rich and chocolatey and heavily hopped with English Hops. Try Bateman’s Salem Porter, or for an American twist of a Porter; Sierra Nevada Porter.
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Stout
A heavier darker variation of the Porter. The grains are roasted longer for an often smoky or slightly burnt quality. Stouts may be sweet, dry, milky or strong in alcoholic content. They should all possess an extremely dark and heavy body and rich, foamy head. Finding really good stout amongst all sub-categories of the style and so many brewers is not so easy. The most popular Stout is of course, Guinness Extra Stout (a dry stout). Cooper’s XXX is a “must try” and Young’s Oatmeal Stout is a prime example of a “sweet” stout. If you’re in the mood to be absolutely blown away with strong stout ale flavors, go out and find yourself a Samuel Smith’s Imperial Stout. As I so eloquently state in the beer rating section of this guide, “WOW!”
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