Ales vs. Lagers
One of the first distinctions to make when we look at beer is the difference between ales and lagers.Within each, there are numerous styles, and most of what the average drinker will recognize will fall into one of these two categories.
Several brewing techniques will traditionally categorize a beer as either an ale or a lager, but the main difference is the use of either Ale Yeast or Lager Yeast, respectively.
Ales typically ferment at warmer temperatures, and flavors tend to be more forward, robust, and funky.
Lagers ferment cooler and are often characterized as being crisp, clean, and balanced.
Ales
Withing the Ale category, you will find some of the world's most loved craft beers and some less familiar favorites.
Stouts and Porters
On the darker end, you have beers such as stouts and porter. These are beers typically brewed with darkly roasted malts that tend to be full-bodied with malt-forward flavors. These often have a higher alcohol content, but you will learn that few things about these styles are objective as you start looking at them.
A good example of a porter is the fantastic Fat Nerd Vanilla Porter from Yulli's Brews, which is backed by a lovely chocolate & roasted malt character.
The Catchment Brewing, is offering Cow Tipper a creamy smooth stout to enjoy during winter.
Browns, Ambers, and Reds
These beers are lighter in color than stouts but still carry a leading malt presence. More often than stouts and porters, you will also find these beers will some noticeable bitterness, depending on the style. Flavors of toffee, biscuit, and caramel are common, and these beers can find a good balance between the darker, malt-heavy beers and more hop-forward brews.
Sour Beers
Sour beers are brewed with bacteria and wild yeast, which gives way to a funky, acidic beer. Sours like the Berliner Wiess are tart and often mixed with fruit, will the Gose is brewed with salt for a distinctive flavor.
Among all the sours available from our brewers, Smokey Sour from Frexi has been inspired from a mexican mezcal cocktail.
Wheat Beers
Wheat Beers have a full body and medium color. Beers like the Hefeweizen and Belgian Witbier are brewed with a distinctive yeast that has flavors of banana and clove.
The Witbier is commonly brewed with spices and orange zest.
Pale Ales/IPAs
When it comes to bitter beers, color is subjective, but the defining quality is the hop-forward bitterness. Pale Ales and Bitters are lighter in color, low-ABV beers with a strong hop flavor and aroma.
However, Imperial Pale Ales(IPAs) range from golden to black and have a much higher alcohol percentage. IPAs are also known for their hefty hop profile.
You could find a huge range among our brewers as they are one of the most common types brewed.
Lagers
Lager is both an umbrella style and a style in itself, and lager beers are the most commonly consumed beers worldwide.
American Lagers/Light Lagers
These are very light, easy-drinking beers that have a low ABV. These are often brewed with rice for a more mild malt flavor, and they also have moderate to low bitterness.
Pilsner
One of the most common beer styles in the world is the Pilsner. It comes in several varieties but is primarily characterized by a golden color and a very even balance between malt sweetness and hop bitterness.
Bocks and Other Lagers
There are several other lagers that all range in color, body, and ABV.
For example, the German Doppelbock is a strong, sometimes dark lager with low bitterness and dark fruit flavors. While the Mai Bock is a light-bodied lager with malt sweetness and moderate to low bitterness. Malt Liquor also falls into the Lager category and is known for being a high-ABV light-bodied beer with moderate-to-low hop presence and an overall mild flavor.
Shop by Style
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Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Smooth / Velvety
Tasting notesSuper juicy mango flavoured New England IPA balanced with a fruity hop bitterness7th Day Hazy IPAView BeerHazy IPASold By 7th Day8 pack$50.0016 packSpecial Price $72.00 Regular Price $80.004 pack$25.00 -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Chewy
Tasting notesAn easy drinking ale with subtle bitterness and clean malt finish.American Pale AleView BeerAmerican Pale AleSold By Rocks Brewing Co12 pack$50.0024 pack$82.506 pack$25.00 -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Smooth / Velvety
Tasting notesEclipse is front and centre in the IPA. A new hop to the market. Eclipse is known for its beautiful citrus/madarin aroma and taste, with the subtle additions of Melba and galaxy you get that pine and passionfruit additions which balance this IPA beautifully. With the addition of aurura malt and oats it give sthis beer a beautiful golden glow and soft mouthfeel. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Delicate
Tasting notesHop driven bitterness with earth, pine and herbal notes balanced by a solid malt backbone. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Sharp
Tasting notesMango, stonefruit and citrus are all to the fore, while a welcome bitterness gently washes the pallet clean.
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Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Smooth / Velvety
Tasting notesThe IPA for IPA lovers and non-lovers alike. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Dry
Tasting notesUpfront strong molasses, caramel, coffee, chocolate and coffee aroma and flavour, married with lightly citrus and floral notes from the hops. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Smooth / Velvety
Tasting notesPouring dark black with a copper tint around the edges, this marvel is only lightly bittered and stays smooth to the finish. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Dry
Tasting notesBright citrus, lemon peels and myrtle herbaceous. Present malt backbone and smooth body. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Dry
Tasting notesLoaded with tropical Kiwi hops that deliver peach, lychee, and hints of citrus, this is a perfect brew for lazing in the the sun in our beer garden.Cow & Calf Tropical Pale AleView BeerPale AleSold By Jervis Bay Brewing Co8 pack$56.0016 pack$92.004 pack$28.00 -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Dry
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Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Dry
- Fizzy
Tasting notesA fully dialed in super tight and clean easy drinking pale lager. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Clean
Tasting notesBold, robust, bitter, clean, crisp.
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Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Chewy
Tasting notesStrong bitterness, prominent citrus and pine aroma -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Smooth / Velvety
Tasting notesNotes of tropical fruits and stone fruits. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMaltTasting notesGreat hoppy citrus flavours. Not too bitter
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Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Clean
Tasting notesPineapple juiciness, Hoppy and Citric. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Smooth / Velvety
Tasting notesCitrus hop flavours of orange and mandarin alongside a caramel malt flavour. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Smooth / Velvety
Tasting notesMango, passion fruit, blackcurrant, apricot and pineapple hop aroma making this beer super fruity combined with strong caramel malt character.India Red AleView BeerRed IPASold By Prancing Pony Brewery24 packSpecial Price $119.00 Regular Price $141.0012 pack$77.00 -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Delicate
Tasting notesBright tropical hops balanced by an assertive bitterness.Lightning Minds Pale AleView BeerAmerican Pale AleSold By Lightning Minds8 pack$35.0024 pack$75.004 pack$18.00 -
Flavour ProfileHopsMaltTasting notesFull of body and grunt, our Magic Sam DDH WCIPA could take on the world's best and we think, also come out on top! Using lots of US hops and bringing a bit of West Coast down south, this is a beer that, much like that magic board in 66, is not for the faint-hearted and is guaranteed to take anyone on the ride of their life!
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Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Smooth / Velvety
Maude Street Pale AleView BeerPale AleSold By Shepparton Brewery8 pack$50.0016 pack$65.004 pack$25.00 -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Chewy
Tasting notesHerbal stone fruit aroma and the little brother of our American Pale Ale. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Chewy
Tasting notesAn IPA that is light in colour, using a well-balanced pale base malt bill with some specialty malts from Germany thrown in to give it some complexity. The hops present big, fruit driven notes coupled with a piny, resinous backbone that makes your tongue fury (in a good way, promise).