An insight into various types of beers for their unique flavours

Avneet Singh

While the craft beer culture has been rising to a new level of popularity in the recent years, there are certain basic types which fall under the category of beers. If you are a fan of beer and want to explore some different kinds and styles to explore their specialty and the unique flavors, learning about the types will help you get comfortable and familiar with one of the oldest drinks in the world. So, let’s have a look at some of these types and briefly talk about them.

Ales
Ale is the most basic and general category to fall under beer. It is further categorised into brown ales and pale ales and also based on their origin place. It is the oldest of all the styles of beer and dates back to ancient times. Its warm-temperature fermentation for a short period of time is what sets the ales apart and makes it available for all the home brewers. During the fermentation process, the brewers introduce a yeast to ferment it on top of the brew. As a result of this fermentation, the supposed to be barley and malt tea is converted into a boozy beverage which you call ‘ale’.

Lager
Lagers, in comparison to ales, is a newer style in the beer category and is different than ales in two major ways. That major difference lies in its fermentation process. Lagers are usually fermented for longer period of time at a low temperature and instead of top-brewing yeasts, it depends on the yeast that ferments it at the bottom of the brew and does its magic. This type is common in the European countries, including Germany, Czechia, the Netherlands and also in Canada. In all these regions, they make more than half of all the beer sales.

Porter
Porter is a type of ale which are known for their dark black color and the aroma and notes of roasted malt. These may be dry or a little fruity in flavor. Their flavor can be determined on the basis of the variety of malt used for its brewing process.

Stout
Another type of ales, just like porter, this one is also a dark roasted ale. These are less sweet in terms of taste as compared to porters and often consist of bitter taste like that of coffee. This kind od taste arises due to the addition of unmalted roasted barley in the wort. They are branded by a thick, creamy head. World’s best- and well-known stout is said to be Ireland’s Guinness.

Blond Ales
This type of easy drinking ale is best know as a summer favorite drink. Its aroma is due its light malt sweetness and traces of hops. Standing true to its name, blonde ales usually are in a pale color and have a clear body. As a drink, it can be dry and crisp, with a hint of bitterness instead of being hop-heavy or dank.

Brown Ales
This category of ales has a whole range of colors going from amber to brown. The notes of a brown ales consists of chocolate, caramel, citrus and is slightly nutty in flavor. Brown ales, the underrated style of beer, are said to be a mixed-bag category as the different variety of malt and its country of origin can heavily affect its flavor and aroma.

Pale Ale
This one is an English variety of ales which are known for its copper color and the fruity aroma. In contrast with its name, these ales are strong in taste and can be best paired with spicy food. Related to the pale ale is American Pale Ale. APA is a sort of hybrid between the traditional English Pale Ale and Indian Pale Ale. These are slightly hoppier and usually consists of American two row malt.

Indian Pale Ale
Originally, Indian Pale Ale used to be a British ale which was brewed with extra hops. The high levels of the bittering agents in it made the drink stable enough to survive a long boat journey to India without getting spoiled. This bitter taste of Indian pale ales is due to the extra dose of hops present in it. Based on the variety of hop used in it, the Indian pale ale may have a fruit-forward citrus taste or feature the taste of resin and pine.

Wheat
This easy drinking and light style of beer is known for a soft, smooth flavor and hazy body. It tends to taste slightly spicy or citrusy. Among this category, the hefeweizen or unfiltered wheat beer are the most common styles.

The writer is Founder, Medusa Beverages Pvt. Ltd