Beer styles

There are dozens of other beer styles in the world apart from Czech lager.
Beer styles are classified according to the fermentation process used during the production of a beer. There are three basic methods used in modern breweries:
top-fermentation – cca 22 °C, bottom-fermentation – cca 8–12 °C, a spontaneous fermentation

Lager beer

Czech lager

We find elements of malt and hops in the aroma. The colour is gold and the beer is usually clear (it has undergone filtration). The flavour is malty, and a hoppy bitterness is displayed at the end. It was first brewed in Pilsen in 1842 by the German brewer Groll. The alcohol content is around 4.2 – 5.4% and is of medium crisp.

Viennese lager

The aroma is of a dominant rich maltiness, and tones of roasted malt may also be detected. The colour is copper. Again, the flavour is distinctly malty with a hint of roasted Viennese malt. The aftertaste is drier and the bitterness low. A pleasant creamy sensation remains in the mouth. The beer’s crisp is medium.

Oktoberfest / Märzen

A rich malty aroma with elements of roasted malt. The colour ranges from dark gold to orange to red. The dominant flavour is malty sweetness, and the hoppy bitterness is medium. Overall it’s a full malty beer with medium crisp. The name Märzen is used for the reason that the beer was brewed in spring at the end of the brewing season and stored in cold cellars through the hot summer. It was sold during traditional autumn celebrations.

BOCK

Bock

The aroma is distinctly malty with undertones of roasted malt. However, we can also detect light alcohol tones. The colour range varies from light copper to brown. The flavour is distinctly malty. The pleasant warmth of alcohol can be detected at the end of a mouthful and the crisp is medium. The content of alcohol is between 6.3 – 7.2%. It was originally brewed in Northern Germany in the town of Einbeck. The style arrived in Bavaria in the 17^th century and the name became a Bavarian corruption of the town of Einbeck – bock.

Dopplebock

The aroma is intensely malty-sweet. Tones of roasted malt and caramel can be found in it, and in darker version one can even detect tones of chocolate. The flavour is very rich and malty. The alcohol content ranges from 7 – 10%. The bitterness is low, and the crisp is low to medium. This Bavarian specialty was first brewed by Pauline monks who drank the beer during Lent so that they felt a sense of fullness. We recognise many representatives of this style by the suffix - ator

Wheat beer

Witbier

The aroma is medium sweet with typical wheat tones and a hint of tartness. The colour is typically very light yellow to straw, and the beer is cloudy. The flavour is pleasantly sweet and very refreshing. One can also notice a hint of spice, especially coriander. This is a lighter beer with an alcohol content of 4.6 – 5.5 percent and higher crisp. A unique point in the production process is the use of unmalted wheat. It differs in this respect, for example, from German weizen style wheat beers. The history of this style is more than 400 years old.

Weizen / Weissbier

A very refreshing beer produced mainly in Bavaria. It typically uses a specific amount of wheat malt – at least 50 percent. There are typical tones of banana and citrus in the aroma. The colour may be straw to very dark gold. A typical weizen is cloudy, which is created by the brewer’s yeast – this variety bears the name Hefewiezen. If the beer is clear the variety is called Kristal-weizen. One can recognise banana and clove in the flavour. The bitterness is very low and the crisp high, and that’s why it’s very refreshing.

Dunkel Weizen

A dark wheat beer. The variations in aroma and flavour are similar to the light variety (Weizen). Tones of banana and citrus are again typical, together with a fullness of cravings. And on top of all that, caramel and chocolate tones are added. The colour may be from light copper to dark brown. This style is traditionally unfiltered and therefore a natural cloudiness is created. The bitterness is very low and the crisp rather high.

Weizenbock

A strong, very full beer. There are typical tones of dark fruit in the aroma – plums and raisins, among others. These elements can also be detected in the flavour. The colour is typically semi-dark to dark. This style of beer, thanks to its higher alcohol content (usually 6 – 8 percent) is ideal for chilly evenings. The bitterness is very low, and the crisp medium to high. The first example of this style of beer was brewed in 1907 by Schneider Weisse Aventinus and has been successfully produced up to today.

Belgian Ale

Dubbel

This is a monastery beer whose characteristic colour is dark. These distinctly malty beers usually have an alcohol content of 6.5 – 8 percent. It has a typically flowery and fruity aroma and flavour. Also typical is a mixture of two types of malt, one of which is roasted. The colour of a given beer is produced by the relative amount of malt used. Representatives of this type of beer have passed through a secondary fermentation process in the bottle. The crisp is high.

Tripel

Just like other monastery beers this is a very strong beer in which a malty and yeasty aroma and flavour prevail. The flavour is of a predominantly fruity component. It is a light beer of golden colour with higher bitterness and a drier aftertaste. The crisp of the beer is high. One can also recognise the pleasant warmth of the flavour of alcohol in each mouthful. The alcohol content is around 7 – 9.5 percent. The style has been popularised primarily by the Westmalle Trappist brewery, which is also its pioneer.

Quadrupel

A very strong monastery and Trappist beer. Fruity tones reminiscent of peaches are typical. The alcohol content is usually around 10 percent.

Belgian Blond ale

This beer is made via top-fermentation exclusively from the malt of a single grain, especially barley. The colour is gold, the alcohol content is around 6 – 8 percent, and the crisp is high. The beer’s ingredients are not limited only to hops – they may also be varied and usually of a herbal character. In some parts of Belgium hops are even quite deliberately excluded.

Saison

A beer of this type is considered a light beer of the pale ale variety but which is stronger (around 7% alcohol) with a high degree of carbonation, and is fruity and spicy (sometimes spices are even added). According to tradition, the beer was brewed in the cold months and then stored for the use of seasonal farm workers.

Stout

Dry stout

A typical coffee aroma may be accompanied by chocolate or cocoa tones. The colour is dark brown to deep black. The taste of roasted malt is usually accompanied by a mild acidity and medium bitterness. The end is dry. There are even noticeable tones of dark chocolate in the flavour. The alcohol content ranges between 4 – 5 percent and the crisp is low. The style originated in England where it is still very popular and widespread.

Oatmeal stout

A subtle aroma of roasted malt is often accompanied by tones of coffee. The colour is medium brown to black. The flavour is moderately sweet with elements of nuts or milk chocolate. The bitterness and crisp is medium. The addition of 5 – 10 percent of oats is typical for this beer. It was originally brewed in England as a seasonal beer. The alcohol content ranges between 4 – 6 percent.

Russian Imperial stout

A rich aroma with elements of maltiness, roasted malt, fruity tones and a subtle taste of alcohol. The colour usually ranges from dark red-brown to black. The same elements found in the aroma are also found in the flavour. The bitterness is high. Its fruitiness is manifested mainly in plum and other dark fruit tones. The beer is very full and dense. The crisp is lower. The alcohol content ranges from 8 – 12 percent. The beer was originally brewed in England for export to the Baltic countries and Russia. This style was very popular in the court of the Russian czar.

Anglo-American Ale

American pale ale

This ale is marked by a light colour ranging from gold to light copper. It characteristically makes use of American hops that are very bitter but also aromatic. The crisp is medium to high. Beers of this style are perfectly suited to grilled meat and burgers, but also salads and sushi.

India pale ale

The style is characterised by an intensive hoppy aroma and flavour. Strong hopping was originally used to preserve the beer during long voyages at sea. Beers of this style have a colour ranging from gold to copper, and there are distinctive aromatic components of hops in both the bouquet and the flavour – citrus, fruit, and tree sap. The malty flavour is lower. The end of a mouthful is very bitter and dry. The crisp is medium. Beers of this style are suited to Indian cuisine and very spicy meals with chilli.

Black IPA (India pale ale)

The style is characterised by a high hoppiness at the level of an IPA style. The beer is marked by a high alcohol content and a distinctive roasted malt aroma. The beer’s fullness tends to be medium. It is normally hopped when cold. It is normally cold hopped.

English pale ale

The colour is gold to copper. The use of English hops is characteristic. Beers of this style are drier. Unlike the American pale ale style, however, they are more malty and the crisp is lower. Beers of this style are perfectly suited to all types of meat, e.g. roast beef, lamb, hamburgers, duck and goose, etc.

Bitter

A style that comes from brewing companies that wanted to differentiate this beer from other fine beers by using more light malt and more hops. Most of them have a gold to copper colour and a light body. They are specifically distinguished by low carbonation. The hoppy bitterness is moderately distinctive. Most of these beers have a fruitiness in their aroma and flavour. The beers are traditionally served from a cask-type keg, although many breweries also provide them in a bottled version.

Extra strong bitter (ESB)

Beers of this style are more distinctive and more complex than a Bitter both in the amount of alcohol and the character of the hops used. The range of colours is similar to a bitter, but are inclined to the darker end of the range – dark gold to copper. It is characterised by low carbonation. The malt has a tendency to be more distinctive, often with roasted and fruity tones. Beers of this style, even though they have the name ‘bitter’, are essentially not overly bitter. The usual alcohol content range is 5 – 7 percent.

Barleywine

Despite the name, this is a very strong, distinctive and aromatically intense beer. It is one of the strongest beer styles of all. Fruitiness, sweetness and sometimes bitter-sweetness can be found in the beer, but it always contains a higher amount of alcohol. The colour palette of this style of beer ranges from amber to dark brown. The flavour palette may contain intensive fruity elements as well as distinctive hoppy traces. The body of this beer is very full.

Porter

Brown porter

The aroma is malty with subtle elements of roasted malt or even chocolatey, and the colour is brown. The flavour is malty and contains mainly subtle tones of roasted malt accompanied by traces of nuts, caramel, coffee or even liquorice. The bitterness is usually low, just like its crisp. This style originated in England and is considered a forerunner of Stout. The alcohol content ranges from 4 – 5.4 percent.

Baltic porter

A beer with a rich malty bouquet that contains tones of nuts, caramel and liquorice. One can also find fruity tones of plum and cherry. In this respect, these beers are reminiscent of port wine. The colour ranges from dark copper to dark brown. The flavour is very rich and malty, and we can find the same elements that we do in the aroma. At the end of a mouthful we can feel the pleasant warmth of alcohol. The bitterness is low and the crisp medium. The alcohol content is around 5.5 – 9.5 percent. It’s a traditional beer in the countries around the Baltic Sea.

Lambic

A beer originating in Belgium whose taste is reminiscent of Chardonnay or a dry Vermouth. It is mainly brewed from autumn to spring as it would be threatened by the risk of undesirable flavours in summer. It is a beer with very little carbonation. Production lasts several weeks to months in relation to the quantities in the batch and the yeast.

Gueuze

This is a blended lambic based on a mixture of young and old beers of the aforementioned type. It is described as a sparkling beer whose sharpness is reminiscent of wine. It may contain traces of rhubarb flavour.

Kriek

This is a cherry lambic in which almond tones may occur.

Frambozen

A raspberry lambic. It is served in champagne glasses.

Faro

A sweet lambic version. It is served at chilled to cellar temperature.