Beer Appreciation

Beer Style

Type

Tasting Notes

Abbey

Ale

Strong, fruity, spicy aromatic,complex

Altbier

Ale

Bronze colour, snappy bitterness, full malt flavour

Amber

Ale or lager

Caramelized flavours

Barley wine

Ale

Very strong, dark, bittersweet, malty, complex (sipping beer)

Biere de garde

Ale

Full bodied, herbal, flavours of anis and earth

Bitter

Ale

Fruity and racy, subtle, low carbonation, robust hopping

Bock

Lager

Dark, strong, malty, toffeeish, full bodied, restrained bitterness

Brown ale

Ale

Dark, caramelized, fruity, light chocolate and coffee

Doppelbock

Lager

Very stong, dark, toffeeish, moderate sweetness

Dortmunder Export

Lager

Golden, dry, bready, moderate bitterness

Dubbel

Ale

Dark, fruity, complex, raisiny, spicy

Dunkel

Lager

Dark, malty, juicy, bready, moderate bitterness

ESB

Ale

Amber, fruity, slightly strong, hoppy

Framboise

Fruit

Beer mad with raspberries, sweet or dry

Gueuze

Lambic

Pale, dry, funky, wildly complex, quite tart, champagney

Hefeweizen

Ale

Wheat beer with yeast, light bodied, spritzy, clovey, banana

Helles

Lager

Light golden, light bodied, malty, bready, restrained bitterness

Imperial stout

Ale

Vey strong, dark roasty, coffeeish, chocolatey, robust

IPA

Ale

Amber, strong, dry, robust hop bitterness and aroma

Kölsch

Ale

Very pale gold, bready, lightly fruity, restrained bitterness

Kriek

Fruit

Beer made with cherries, sweet or dry

Lambic

Lambic

Fermented with wild yeasts, tart base for gueuze, funky

Märzenbier

Lager

Amber, bready, round, malty, caramelized, juicy, medium body

Mild

Ale

Dark, lightly hopped, caramelized, raisiny, light body

Oktoberfest

Lager

Pale, bready, round, malty, caramelized, juicy, medium body

Old Ale

Ale

Somewhat strong, dark, caramelized, fruity, balanced bitterness

Oud Bruin

Ale

Dark, sweet & sour, fruity, juicy, raisiny, complex

Pale Ale

Ale

Amber, snappy, dry, fruity, hoppy, with some caramel

Pilsner

Lager

Golden, dry, sharply bitter, flowery, bready, snappy

Porter

Ale

 Very dark, chocolaty, coffeeish, caramelized, hoppy

Rauchbier

Lager

Smoky, juicy, caramelized

Saison

Ale

Dry, sharp, spicy, complex, refreshing, hoppy, slightly strong

Schwarzbier

Lager

Very dark, bitter chocolate, dry, caramelized, bready

Scotch ale

Ale

Dark, sometimes strong, malty, full bodied, restrained bitterness

Stout

Ale

Black, coffeeish, chocolaty, can be dry/sweet, strong or modest

Trappist

Ale

Made by monks, strong, fruity, spicy, complex

Tripel

Ale

Pale, strong, dry, fruity, complex, spicy, rummy, spirituous

Vienna style

Lager

Bronze, sweetish, malty, bready, caramelized, light bitterness

Weissbier

Ale

Wheat beer, usually with yeast (see hefeweizen)

Witbier

Ale

Belgian wheat beer, cloudy, hazy yellow, light bodied, citric, spritzy, slightly tangy