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
- Astringent
Tasting notesPassion fruit, Pineapple and Mango. Subtle malt sweetness. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Fizzy
Tasting notesFrench flavours inspired -
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 ProfileHopsMalt
- Light
Tasting notesThis Double Dry Hopped XPA is fruity, floral, light and breezy. Perfect food pairing: soft goat cheese, white meat skewers, fish, charcuterie -
Best price onlineFlavour ProfileHopsMaltLoophole Brewing - Mix&Match - 24 cansView BeerSold By Loophole Brewing Co24 packSpecial Price $72.00 Regular Price $85.00
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Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Dry
Tasting notesGentle honey sweetness, simple, easy drinking beer. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Sharp
Tasting notesWith just enough malt flavour, this beer tastes a whole lot like beer but don’t let the low ABV fool you, this beer still has plenty of guts. -
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
- Delicate
Tasting notesMango and Passionfruit. A sour to love. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Fizzy
Tasting notesWe combined mango nectar with the tartaric acid in tamarind pulp to create a perfect balance of sweet, tangy, and sour. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Sharp
Tasting notesA clean, dry and easy drinking cider made from the freshest of apples from the Adelaide Hills. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
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Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Creamy
Tasting notesBursting with bright citrus and tropical hop character, it’s sure to please even the most discerning hophead. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Creamy
Tasting notesHints of caramel and biscuit malt add body and complexity, perfectly balanced by clean bitterness and a dry finish. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Delicate
Tasting notesSubtle hoppy and malt notes. This beer is a great beer for a refreshing afternoon, perfect by itself. A real classic Australian Lager -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Smooth / Velvety
Maude Street Pale AleView BeerPale AleSold By Shepparton Brewery8 pack$50.0016 pack$65.004 pack$25.00 -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Clean
Tasting notesEl Jefe is simply the boss of drinkability. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Chewy
Tasting notesHerbal stone fruit aroma and the little brother of our American Pale Ale. -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Heavy / Thick
Tasting notesOrganic Cacao nibs were gently roasted to bring out a rich toasty chocolate note before adding to the beer.
Single Origin coffee beans from the Yarra Valley were used to extract a cold brew concentrate using a slow drip method. Real Vanilla paste and Maple were then combined with the beer towards the end of fermentation to lend rich and robust aromatics to the stout.
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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). -
Best price onlineFlavour ProfileHopsMalt
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Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Sharp
Tasting notesCrisp. Refreshing. Hoppy. Malty.Mosaic Pale AleView BeerAmerican Pale AleSold By The Mill Brewery8 pack$40.0024 pack$98.004 pack$20.00 -
Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Clean
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Flavour ProfileHopsMalt
- Sharp
- Clean
Tasting notesNorman Australian Ale is an approachable session beer made from all local ingredients. With a light malt base that makes way for an abundance of hop character