Beer Guide by GameBeat

Pale Ale

One of the oldest varieties, American Pale Ale, was first brewed in England over 300 years ago. Compared to English Ales, American Pale Ale contains more hops, citrus, and pine notes. A unique malt gives the drink a bronze hue. Pale Ale is usually brewed with low alcohol content and pairs perfectly with any dish.

IPA

Compared to regular Ale, Indian Pale Ale contains more hops and a higher alcohol content. It originated when India was under British colonization: beer supplied to British soldiers on ships was often spoiled during the long journey, so brewers added more sugar and hops. The strength of the drink and its unusual bitter taste ensured its popularity.

Wheat Ale — Weissbier

In Bavaria, brewers used wheat instead of traditional barley to produce malt. As a result, the drink acquires a yellowish-white hue. Usually, Wheat Ales have hints of banana or cloves, low bitterness, a modest alcohol content, and a fruity taste. There are several varieties of classic Wheat Ales: Kristal Weizen (filtered after fermentation), Hefeweizen (unfiltered and therefore slightly cloudy), Witbier (Belgian wheat beer), Dunkelweizen (roasted wheat malt is used in production, resulting in a dark or nutty beer with a smoky aroma).

Belgian Ale

The only thing that unites all the diversity of Belgian beers is their phenolic aromas: clove, spicy, herbal, and even bubblegum. In addition, fruity esters are often used — typically orange, lemon, or banana. Sparkling bubbles, akin to champagne, characterize light Belgian Ales. Dark Ales have a richer taste. Usually, in beer production, dark fruit esters are usually used, such as raisin, plum, cherry, and sometimes even apples and banana esters.

Sour Ale

Sour beer is partially or fully fermented by wild yeast bacteria. The color palette ranges from rich red Flanders Ale to Golden Straw. This beer smells of fruits and has a distinct sharp yeast aroma. The level of sourness or bitterness depends on the variety of wild yeast used in production, additional ingredients, and aging. Some Sour Ales are Belgian. However, many beverages of this kind have been produced in America.

Brown Ale

Despite the apparent simplicity of this beverage, it is hard to find anything more refreshing than this balanced ale. Brown Ale, which originated in the late 18th century, contains a hint of hops and is made from 100% dark malt. Brown Ale distinctly smells of roasted malt. American varieties have a slightly more robust hop aroma. The beer has a caramel-nutty flavor.

Porter

Porters appeared on the scene in the early 18th century and made a real revolution in the brewing industry. Soon, beer of this type spread throughout Great Britain. Ruby-black or dark brown, with a characteristic wine-like taste and a strong malt aroma, porter is the most suitable drink for cold winter evenings. Its uniqueness is created by chocolate, caramel, and liqueur notes in the taste. Most porters contain a lot of hops and are predominantly made from dark malt, resulting in a rich flavor balanced between bitterness and sweetness.

Stout

Dry stout is associated with Arthur Guinness, who took the classic porter and made it more robust and richer in taste. However, modern stouts have lower density and the same strength as porters. Stout is usually dark, almost black, because of heavily roasted malt and a lingering aftertaste, which depends on the aging and variety of stout. Also, they use heavily roasted barley in the production, which gives the stout its recognizable aroma of bitter chocolate and coffee. Sometimes, the beverage undergoes carbonation and acquires a thicker, creamy texture.

Pale Lager

The production of Pale Lager saw its development through the combination of English brewing techniques used in brewing pale ale and German lagering — the process of aging beer at low temperatures. As a result, a dry, straightforward, and clean-tasting beer is created, which can be described as refreshing and even crisp. When poured, the beer reveals a pleasant golden hue. The bitterness is very soft, almost invisible.

Dark Lager

Dark Lager is brewed from roasted barley; its color may range from amber to dark brown with ruby highlights. The foam is usually a light yellow-brown color. Most beverages of this type are characterized by the taste of roasted malt bread crusts with hints of dark fruits, caramel, and chocolate. The hop flavor is almost absent or has floral notes. The drink is opaque but not as strong as one might think, making it perfect for a dinner with friends on a coolish evening.

Bock

The origins of the bock style are more obscure and mysterious than the emergence of other beverages in this lineup. One version suggests that the beer was brewed by Munich monks who, having arrived from Italy, found it challenging to observe Lent in Bavaria. To sustain their strength, they began brewing beer, which did not fall under religious prohibitions since monks of this order were allowed to consume only liquid food during Lent. Typically, the beverage is opaque, dark amber, or brown, with a distinct malty flavor. The hops are barely noticeable. However, many brewers, attempting to balance the bitterness of the hops, resort to tricks to impart flavors of iris or caramel to the drink.

Amber

Amber beer can be classified as both ales and lagers. However, it differs from both in bitterness: in amber beer, it is more pronounced than in ales but less so than in lagers. The hop bitterness is balanced by malt, but it is still quite distinct at the end of a pint.