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.

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  1. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    • Light
    Tasting notes
    Tastes like beer, doesn't feel like beer.
    All Nighter
    All Nighter
    Rating:
    80%
    Ale
    Urban Alley Brewery
    Sold By Urban Alley Brewery
    Pay as little as $31.00
    8 pack
    $37.00
    24 pack
    $92.00
    4 pack
    $19.00
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  2. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
  3. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    Tasting notes
    Pairing Victoria’s very own Pale malt with a bold crystal malt gives this Brewi a biscuit finish with medium bitterness throughout.
  4. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    Tasting notes

    Ripe peach, passionfruit, and citrus flavours – it's a fruit salad in a glass.

    Boxer Lazy Ale
    Boxer Lazy Ale
    Ale
    Boxer Brewing Co
    Sold By Boxer Brewing Co
    Pay as little as $23.00
    4 pack
    $27.00
    8 pack
    $54.00
    16 pack
    $78.00
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  5. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Clean
    Tasting notes
    Simple, clean and easy to drink ale.
    Careful Cobber
    Careful Cobber
    Ale
    Shepparton Brewery
    Sold By Shepparton Brewery
    Pay as little as $40.00
    8 pack
    $50.00
    16 pack
    $65.00
    4 pack
    $25.00
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  6. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Delicate
    Tasting notes
    An earthy aroma with musk and a touch of sweetness, the taste of Davidson plum is tart with some sourness and a slight bitterness.
  7. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    Tasting notes
    Crisp. Refreshing. Hoppy.
  8. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Delicate
    Tasting notes
    English style ale with a soft caramel sweetness balanced by earthy hops and a dry mineral finish.
  9. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    Tasting notes
    Delightfully juicy, you wont stop at one!
  10. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    Tasting notes
    This light, spritzy session beer is full of summer flavours like passionfruit and citrus with some light herbal and resinous notes. Flaked oats have been used to retain body and mouthfeel.
  11. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Creamy
    Tasting notes
    It's rich and roasty!
    Kofe Brown Ale
    Kofe Brown Ale
    Ale
    BrewiColo Brewing Co.
    Sold By BrewiColo Brewing Co.
    Pay as little as $45.00
    8 pack
    $52.00
    24 pack
    $112.00
    4 pack
    $26.00
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  12. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    • Delicate
    Tasting notes
    No hoppy features, not tropical, but great fruit nuances, and amazing complexity, soft, fruity complexity just hangs in the mouth, and doesn’t go away like most session ales.
  13. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Clean
  14. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Dry
    Tasting notes
    A beer lower in alcohol and calories, but with all the malted barley flavours and characters.
  15. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Creamy
    • Dry
    Tasting notes
    Strikingly red in colour, low carbonation that creates a fuller, creamier mouthfeel.
    Session Red Ale
    Session Red Ale
    Ale
    Shepparton Brewery
    Sold By Shepparton Brewery
    Pay as little as $40.00
    8 pack
    $50.00
    16 pack
    $65.00
    4 pack
    $25.00
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  16. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    Tasting notes
    Aromas of Pineapple and Pine courtesy of Vic Secret Hops, not overly bitter
  17. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    Tasting notes
    It was in the Keyo Factory along with many crafting hands that the game changing Vee Bottom came to life, giving surfers the shape they needed to carve a tighter, shorter arc on the wave creating a new movement (sounds like our beer).
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