Ale

-         Beers distinguished by use of top-fermenting yeast strains: Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The top- fermenting yeasts perform at warmer temperatures than yeasts used to brew lager beer, and their byproducts are more evident in taste, aroma and fruitiness

 

Barley Wine

-         More like a fine port or sherry, barley wine is strong, rich, lightly carbonated ale with a raisiny malt sweetness and powerful alcohol presence.

 

Bitter

-         One of the British ales almost exclusively served on draft in English pubs.

 

Black & Tan

-         A mix of a dark and light such as porter and lager or porter and pilsner. In the pub you can get a stout floating on a lager, aka a Half & Half

 

Bock

-         Strong, malty, copper to dark brown colored lager with lots of toasted, bready flavors and mild sweetness.

 

Double Bock

-         Extra strong Bock

 

India Pale Ale

-         A strong , hoppier version of pale ale. It is a high-gravity, potent brew preserved and bittered with large amounts of hops to withstand the long, hot voyages from India.

 

Irish Red Ale

-         Sweet, medium-bodied, reddish amber ale with carmel malt flavors and medium hop bitterness.

 

Lager

-         Beers produced with bottom-fermenting yeast strains: Saccharomyces uvarum (or carlsbergensis) at colder fermentation temperatures

 

Malt Liquor

-         A legal term used in the U.S. to designate a fermented beverage of relatively high alcohol content (7%-8% by volume).

 

Pale Ale

-         Light-colored ales that are usually full-bodied and on the bitter side.

 

Pilsner

-         A type of lager beer, first made in Czechoslovakia in the late 13th century

 

Porter

-         A characteristically dark brown beer, of English origin. The bitterness of this beer derives from the use of roasted, unmalted barley.

 

Stout

-         A deep, dark brown to black colored, medium-bodied brew with robust burnt-choclolate and espresso flavors. Stout pours dark and thick with a rich, creamy head of foam.

 

Trappist Ale

-         Strong, top-fermented, bottle-conditioned ale with an aromatic bouquet and complex palate of fruit, spices, and earthiness. Originally brewed in Belgium by Trappist Monks.

 

Wheat Beer

-         Brewed with 40-60% malted wheat, wheat beers are light-bodied, low-alcohol with high carbonation and a crisp, clean, tart flavor.

 

Ice Beer

-         In this process, beer is chilled after fermentation until ice crystals form. This gives the beer a smoother, richer taste. ( I personally disagree with this theory)

 

Lambic

-         In the case of Fruit Lambics, whole fruits are traditionally added after spontaneous fermentation has started. Kriek (cherries), Frambroise (raspberries), Pêche (peach) and Cassis (black currant) are common fruits, all producing subtle to intense fruit characters respectively.

 

 

Probably the best source for the different varieties is the Beer Advocate

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