Craft Beer Explained

APA (American Pale Ale)

Characterised by floral, fruity, citrus-like, piney, resinous American hops, the American pale ale is a medium-bodied beer with low to medium caramel, and carries with it a toasted maltiness. 

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DDH (Double Dry Hopped)

When large quantities of dried hops/pellets are added once the brew has cooled.  This ensures the juicy more floral flavours are extracted, rather than the bitterness you get when added before boiling.

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IPA (India Pale Ale)

Pale ale with a higher ABV and hop content, originally designed to preserve beer on ships travelling to British colonies.

Variants:​

BIPA (Black IPA)

An IPA with roasted malts to produce a dark beer with flavours of stout AND pale ale.

DIPA (Double IPA)

A stronger, heavier hopped IPA.

NEIPA (New England IPA)

Characterised by intense aromas and flavours of tropical fruit, with a thick haze.  Heavy dry-hopping gives it a juicier rather than bitter flavour.

TIPA (Triple IPA)

Approach with caution.

West Coast IPA 

A heavy hopped pale focusing on the bitter aspects of the hops due to adding the hops on the boil.

Milkshake IPA

Lactose (milk) sugars are added as a sweetener, usually alongside vanilla flavourings.

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Porter

A porter is dark in colour with flavours of chocolate, light coffee, nut and caramel. Porters are less roasty and espresso-like than stouts, but have deeper cocoa flavours than brown ales. 

 

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Saison

Often dry, highly carbonated and fruity with a light body, there are hints of spice and they can vary in ABV.  With a flavour profile provided largely by the yeast, there are similarities with sour and wheat beers.

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Sour Beer

Wild yeast strains and bacteria help sour the beer and gift a “funky” flavour profile. Wine and cider lovers will find lots to love about sour beer due to similarities such as refreshingly tart flavours and a dry mouthfeel. 

Berliner Weisse - low alcohol beers that showcase acidity from esters rather than bitterness from hops.

Gose

An old style of german beer that uses coriander and salt and lactic acids.

Gueuze

A blend of lambics allowed secondary fermentation in the cask/bottle.

Kettle Sour

Lactobacillus cultures are added after the initial wort boil (along with fruit purees in many modern kettle sours), then boiled again once the desired PH is achieved.

Lambic

Belgian lambic beers are left in open vats where wild yeast and bacterias are allowed to take up residence. Once the fermentation process begins, the beer is stored in barrels and left to age.

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Stout

Dark beer made using roasted malt or roasted barley with a number of variations:

Breakfast Stout

Similar to an oatmeal stout, but with bigger coffee flavours.

Imperial Stout

A much higher ABV to balance an extremely rich malty flavour and aroma with full, sweet malt character.

Milk Stout 

Milk sugar (lactose) is added to produce a sweeter stout.

Oatmeal Stout

The addition of oatmeal adds a smooth, rich body and should be smooth not bitter.

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Unfined

Most commercial brewers use 'finings' to draw out yeast sediment and leave a clear beer.  Craft brewers tend to believe that this impacts flavour and instead let gravity do the work over a longer period.  Any residual haze is usually from the hopping.  Finings are typically animal-based, which is why many craft beers are vegan friendly.

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Wheat Beer

Brewed with a large amount of wheat malt, the refreshing style is golden in colour and often hazy in appearance. Top-fermented wheat beers are bright, fruity and aromatic, presenting flavours of banana, clove, and citrus fruit thanks to the presence of lots of yeast esters.  Variations:

Dunkelweizen  

A cross between German dark beer (Dunkel) and Hefeweizen styles.

Hefeweizen

Showcases yeast-driven fruit and spice as well as bearing a hazey appearance.

Witbier/Weissbier

Typically brewed with coriander and citrus or other spices, which act as complementary flavors to the bready, bright wheat notes.