ALE is the older and broader of the two main categories of beer. Stouts, porters and Wheat beers are all types of Ales. Ales are fermented with top-fermenting yeast, usually near room temperature and tend to have a fruiter complex flavor. Darker in color than Lagers, Ales mature (age) from a few days to a few weeks

Stout is a full-bodied and flavorful beer with a hint of carbonation. It generally has a thick dark, rich color with a dense white creamy head and a flavor similar to coffee.

Porter is similar to Stout being full-bodied with a hint of carbonation, yet it is lighter than Stouts with is chocolate color and carries a variety of tastes including sweet, bitter, milk and even oatmeal flavors. Long before Lagers were conceived or modern Ales were fashionable, Porter was the beer of the masses.

India Pale Ale is a hoppy, pale, golden ale typically having citrusy and floral aromas. Hop flavor is inevitably quite high and bitterness quite assertive. In addition, many IPAs are high in alcohol sometimes as much as five times higher than average beers.

Wheat beer is highly carbonated with a fluffy, creamy fullness and a bubbly white head. It ranges in color from pale straw to dark reddish-gold having a cloudy appearance and yeasty sediment with contributes to its opaqueness. It often carries the aroma of wheat and roasted malt with hints of vanilla and banana. Wheat beer is considered to be the oldest known beer but the modern Wheat beer is only about 500 years old deriving from Bavaria. As a result of filtration practices, Wheat beer can be clear or cloudy (such as a Hefeweizen.)

Sweet Stouts are also referred to as cream stouts. They have a mild roasted bitter flavor and a full-bodied mouthfeel. Malt sweetness, chocolate and caramel flavor should dominate the flavor profile of this brew and contribute to its aroma. Hops should balance the sweetness without contributing apparent flavor or aroma.

English-style Brown Ales range from deep copper to brown in color. They have a medium body and a dry to sweet maltiness with very little hop flavor or aroma.

American-style Amber/Red Ales range from light copper to light brown in color. They are characterized by American-variety hops used to produce high hop bitterness, flavor and medium to high aroma. Amber Ales have medium-high to high maltiness with medium to low caramel character. They should have medium to medium-high body.

American-style India Pale Ales have intense hop bitterness, flavor and aroma with medium-high alcohol content. The style is further characterized by fruity, floral and citrus-like American-variety hop character. India Pale Ale possesses medium maltiness and body.

American-style Pale Ales range from deep golden to copper in color with a medium body and low to medium maltiness.

Brown Porters are mid to dark brown (some may have a red tint) in color. The beer should have a low to medium sweetness along with medium hop bitterness. This is a light to medium bodied beer.

Belgium-style Tripels are often characterized by a complex, sometimes-mild spicy character, but no clove-like flavor. Yeast-generated fruity banana esters are also common but not necessary. These pale/light colored Ales may finish sweet, though any sweet finish should be light. The beer is characteristically medium bodied with an equalizing hop/malt balance. Alcohol strength and flavor should be perceived as evident. Head retention is dense and mousse like.

Belgium-style Fruit Lambics are also known by the names Framboise, and Kriek and are characterized by fruit flavors and aromas. The color reflects the choice of fruit. Sourness is an important part of the flavor profile, though sweetness may compromise the intensity. Versions of this beer made outside of the Brussels area of Belgium cannot be true Lambics. These versions are said to be “Lambic-style” and may be made to resemble many of the beers of the true origin.