The Elements of Style(s): A Handy Guide for the Newbie and Connoisseur Alike

I love beer - its continuous capacity to surprise and delight, to provoke thought and appetite, to bring people together and render simple happiness.

I also love learning about beer. This is an iterative process in thinking you know a good deal, then finding that there is always still more to know and try. That said, over the past few months of beer drinking and tasting and comparing and note-taking, I've at least established a working knowledge of many of the major styles of beer. For those just discovering the delicious and deep world of beer, I've put together a basic primer with information on these styles, including:

• Basic profile / tasting notes: Quick hits on the usual signposts for the style
• History: Learn a bit about the history behind the style; entirely non-exhaustive, as each style's genesis and development could spawn a book chapter
• Brewing notes: Find out the nuts and bolts on ingredients, process, and differentiators behind the style
• Tasted and strongly recommended: Notable varieties that I've tried and loved and would buy for loved ones, beer-lovers, and those who fall in both categories
• Yet to try, but have heard great things: Beers that I've seen praised all over the internet, described in rhapsodic tones at gathering of beer geeks, and generally dreamt about having the chance to drink
• Solid picks on a budget: Relatively wide distribution, lower cost (<$12/6 pack for some more common / less process intensive styles, <$9/16-22oz for rarer / more process intensive ones), and high quality; in the case that I have not properly sampled a given style, I will state that, "more tasting is needed" to form a good opinion

As you can see, there are dozens and dozens of style divisions past the ones that I'll include here, and any number of these styles can overlap, combine, or split into smaller, more unified sub-styles. I hope, though, that it nevertheless proves informative, and helps you navigate your exploration of beer!

Author's note - I owe much of this article, and the entire way of thinking that spawned it, to the genius and work of Michael Jackson, the highly-esteemed British beer connoisseur and writer who introduced the world to the idea of stylistic grouping of beer based on shared taste profile, brewing process, and history. The various editions of his "The World Guide to Beer" are an invaluable resource to the neophyte as is his website, The Beer Hunter, linked to above. He almost single-handedly saved several styles of beer from the ignominy of extinction, helped spear-head the craft beer movement here in the United States, and remained always a humble, guiding voice in the letters of beer. He will be missed.

The Styles

I'll start with sections on the styles that I've encountered most often in the course of my beer education. Some general disclaimers: (1) my beer tasting experience has skewed heavily towards American breweries' fare, without much strong background in Belgian, German, British, Danish, or other countries' beer, (2) I have combined closely related categories where I either lack appropriate experience to offer nuanced differentiation or where sufficient taste, process and historical similarities exist among the sub-styles to justify the grouping, (3) the beers on my lists skew towards those available in the NYC, Chicago, and SF Bay area, where I spend most of my time, and (4) this is a living document, so edits will be incorporated as time goes on. That said, on to the beer!



(American) Pale Ale

• Basic profile / tasting notes: Golden to amber colored, hoppy aroma that may range from citrus to pine to tropical fruit, thirst quenching, medium body, good hop-malt balance, ABV usually 5-7%
• History: God bless the washing machine. Fritz Maytag, heir to the company's fortune, took some of his money and helped prop up the failing Anchor Brewery in SF in 1965. After a formative tour of English breweries, he re-jiggered the old English pale ale into a new American version showcasing pale malts and Cascade hops. Later, in 1980, Ken Grossman's Sierra Nevada Brewing Company launched their Pale Ale - a formatively important brew that was their key salvo in the opening volley of the craft beer revolution that we're still enjoying to this day. We salute you, pioneers!
• Brewing notes: Differentiated by its more pale, less toasted malts and its assertive American hop varietals, such as Cascade (citrus and pine) or Citra (tropical fruits and citrus); lighter in color than an Amber Ale, less hoppy and lower ABV than an IPA
• Tasted and strongly recommended: 3 Floyds Zombie Dust, 3 Floyds Alpha King, New Glarus Moon Man
• Yet to try, but have heard great things: Hill Farmstead Edward (or any of HFs PAs), AleSmith Pale X, Pipeworks Callow Knife, Half Acre Daisy Cutter, Alpine Brewing Hoppy Birthday
• Solid picks on a budget: Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Founders Pale Ale

India Pale Ale (IPA)

• Basic profile / tasting notes: Golden to amber colored, though darker varieties (Black IPAs) exist, hoppy aroma that may range from citrus to pine to tropical fruit, substantial body, hops come through more than malt, ABV usually 6-8%
• History: There are conflicting stories at play here. The more-often discredited entry is that this beer originated as a higher, more hopped version of the standard English Pale Ale, thereby allowing it to survive its long trip on British East India ships from London to Bombay. This carries the ring of truth because both alcohol and hop oils are natural disinfectants with anti-microbial properties. However, the more boring, but more likely true, explanation is that local tastes favored a hoppier brew - and the IPA was born.
• Brewing notes: Differentiated primarily by its aggressive hopping with American hop varietals, such as Cascade or Simcoe (both citrus and pine); lighter in color than an Amber Ale, more hoppy and higher ABV than an an American Pale Ale; IPAs from the West Coast are stereotypically more hop-forward, to the point even of parody (see Surly's Overrated West Coast IPA, which ridicules the seeming obsession that beer critics have with highly hoppy IPAs)
• Tasted and strongly recommended: Ballast Point Sculpin IPA, Lagunitas Sucks, Founders Centennial IPA, Hill Farmstead Foster
• Yet to try, but have heard great things: Hill Farmstead Susan (+ any of HFs IPAs), AleSmith IPA, Surly Furious, Maine Beer Lunch
• Solid picks on a budget: Stone IPA, Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA, Sierra Nevada Torpedo

Double India Pale Ale / Imperial India Pale Ale

• Basic profile / tasting notes: Solidly amber colored, very hoppy aroma that may range from citrus to pine to tropical fruit, substantial body with a relatively heavy mouthfeel, hop is heavier than malt, ABV usually 8-11%
• History: On the seventh day, there was the IPA, and Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River Brewery fame brewed a highly alcoholic hop bomb in 1994 while he was still running the Blind Pig in Temacula, CA. Though there is some dispute over whether turning the notch up to 11 on the hop meter constitutes a new style, enough major beer review outlets have embraced the distinction to give it meaning. Therein lays a key fact about beer styles - some of them are not perfectly defined, and some even have detractors that call them only narrowly different expressions of a more encompassing style (in this case, the IPA). Whatever the case, the style tends to clean up in reviews - 3 out of the top 10 on Ratebeer's 2013 Best Beers list and 4 out of the top 10 on BeerAdvocate's 2013 list are Double / Imperial IPAs.
• Brewing notes: Differentiated primarily by its aggressive hopping with American hop varietals; darker in color than an IPA, more hoppy and higher ABV as well
• Tasted and strongly recommended: Russian River Pliny the Elder, The Alchemist Heady Topper, 3 Floyds Rye da Tiger, Bell's Hopslam
• Yet to try, but have heard great things: Hill Farmstead Abner, 3 Floyds Dreadnaught, Surly Abrasive, Firestone Walker Double Jack
• Solid picks on a budget: Dogfish Head 90 Minute Imperial IPA, Stone Ruination IPA

Porter / Baltic Porter / Imperial Porter

• Basic profile / tasting notes: Dark, solid brown in color, medium to full-bodied, toasted malts that can lend coffee, vanilla, or chocolate notes to the flavor, can vary in ABV from 5-11%, with Baltic / Imperial Porters clocking in at the top of that range and more standard Porters near the bottom
• History: The story goes that through the early 1700s, those clamoring for a pint in a British pub were forced to wait while the tender drew down 1/3 measures from three different casks/keg/barrels (sweeter "ale", more bitter "beer", and weaker "two-penny") in order to complete the offering. This concoction was named "three butts", as it required the services of these three different "butts", or barrels, to yield one serviceable drink. Then, in 1722, a series of different brewers around London began brewing a formulation of stronger, fuller beer of much higher ABV (~7%) that borrowed the best characteristics of each of the three constituent beers that made up the old "three butts". This new dram was called "entire butt", as it carried the whole load of flavors and characteristics that previously had only been achieved through the tripartite draw. As the working class of London took a liking to this beverage, it took on the name of their most common profession - porter. 
• Brewing notes: Porters derive their characteristic dark color from the use of well-toasted grain / malt. They benefit from an appreciable quantity of hops, but an even heavier dosing of malt.
• Tasted and strongly recommended: Ballast Point Victory at Sea
• Yet to try, but have heard great things: Hill Farmstead Twilight of the Idols, Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald Porter, Evil Twin Imperial Biscotti Break
• Solid picks on a budget: Smuttynose Robust Porter, Anchor Porter, Deschutes Black Butte Porter, Founders Porter

Stout / Imperial Stout

• Basic profile / tasting notes: Dark, very dark brown to obsidian in color, full-bodied and occasionally even heavy in the mouth, well-toasted and very expressive malts that can lend coffee or strong chocolate notes to the flavor, very little hop flavor, can vary in ABV from 7-15%
• History: Historically, Stouts and Porter share the same DNA - "stout" means strong, and the earliest Stouts were really just stronger Porters. From these origins, though, Stouts and their bigger / stronger / higher ABV cousins, Imperial Stouts, have become one of the most critically well-regarded corner of all styles in the modern craft beer arena, besting even Imperial IPAs in terms of representations at the top of best beer lists, taking 6 out of the top 10 on Ratebeer's 2013 Best Beers list and 8 out of the top 20 on BeerAdvocate's 2013 list. 
• Brewing notes: Much of the process is very similar to that involved in brewing a Porter - dark, toasted malt results in the dark color and roasted flavor found in most Stouts. Imperial Stouts can benefit from the addition of extra sugars for additional fermentation, and many of the best Imperial Stouts in the world are then aged in oak barrels that had previously contained brown spirits such as bourbon or brandy. Stouts of all strengths can also feature the addition of coffee, vanilla beans, chilies, or cacao nibs.
• Tasted and strongly recommended: Founder Imperial Stout, Founders Breakfast Stout, Evil Twin Even More Jesus
• Yet to try, but have heard great things: Cigar City Hunahpu's Imperial Stout, 3 Floyds Dark Lord Imperial Stout, Bells Black Note Stout, Bells Expedition Stout, Founder Kentucky Breakfast Stout, Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout, Mikkeller Beer Geek Brunch Weasel, Southern Tier Choklat, Firestone Walker Parabola, Deschutes The Abyss
• Solid picks on a budget: More tasting needed!

Strong Ale / Barleywine

• Basic profile / tasting notes: A wide-ranging category catch-all for strongly flavored "amped-up" versions of other styles, the result of which doesn't quite fit in other styles. Dark brown, very full-bodied and often heavy in the mouth, very large hops and malt presence, which varies wildly depending on the undergirding style, high ABV in the 7% (more Strong Ale) to 13% (more Barleywine) range
• History: Again, the historical lineage for a Strong Ale or Barleywine should closely hew to that of the ale that is used as the base.
• Brewing notes: Given the extreme diversity in the undergirding style used as the template, Strong Ales don't share a common brewing process any more specific than that they're all ales that have been dosed with additional fermentable material, which results in a higher ABV. Barleywine is a similarly vague term, but will feature even stronger, more concentrated flavor and ABV.
• Tasted and strongly recommended: Stone Arrogant Bastard, Hair of the Dog Adam
• Yet to try, but have heard great things: Lost Abbey Deliverance, AleSmith Old Numbskull, Firestone Walker Sucaba, Hair of the Dog Matt
• Solid picks on a budget: More tasting needed!

Belgian Strong

• Basic profile / tasting notes: Dark in color, with a strong aroma that may be sugary or redolent of spices or yeast, usually very little in terms of hop aroma, medium to heavy in body, with ABV usually 7-11%
• History: Belgian Strong simply refers to those beers, either brewed in Belgium or according to the Belgian method of brewing, that are strong in alcohol and darker than other Belgian Ales. As with the border between many styles, the lines are blurred and at least somewhat subjective. As noted below in "Belgian Ale", monasteries in Belgium have a long tradition of brewing beer to help cover their operating costs. (Extra credit: A particularly notable sub-set of the monasteries (6 in total) are known as Trappist, and thus can brew officially-named Trappist beer. Of those beers, certain Belgian Strong varieties motivate intense fervor among beer geeks. To this day, thousands of beer connoisseurs worldwide make the trek to the Belgian countryside to sample famous Trappist beers from the Brouweries and Brasseries that create them. As a further illustration of this popularity, when the monks operating the Westvleteren Brewery permitted a limited export batch of their Westvleteren 12 beer to the US at a price of $85 for a 6 pack of 12 oz bottles, all of them were snapped up within seconds of openings at the stores selected to carry them. Secondary markets sprang up, with bottles changing hands for high multiples of the listed prices. Granted "Westy 12", as it is colloquially referred to, is considered one of the best beers on earth, but 3 out of the 17 top brews in the world according to RateBeer are Belgian Strongs. Whew - extra credit over.)
• Brewing notes: Secondary bottles fermentation is common, taking advantage of the Belgian candi sugar and various yeasts that are incorporated earlier on in the process.
• Tasted and strongly recommended: Unibroue La Fin du Monde
• Yet to try, but have heard great things: Westvleterern 12, Rochefort Trappistes 10, St Bernardus Abt 12, Chimay Blue Grand Reserve, Struise Pannepot
• Solid picks on a budget: More tasting needed!

Belgian Ale

• Basic profile / tasting notes: Belgian Ale is a hopelessly wide-ranging label that encompasses many dissimilar beers, all of which, however, did originate in Belgium. They are lighter in color, taste, and ABV when compared to Belgian Strong beers.
• History: Brewing took hold in Belgium following the crusades, where monasteries sold beer to help cover operational costs, and because low-alcohol beer was preferable to the possibly unsanitary water of the time.
• Brewing notes: As noted above, the sheer diversity of this "style" makes generalizations relatively useless - there are beers brewed in Belgium that could be classified under almost every other style on this list.
• Tasted and strongly recommended: More tasting needed!
• Yet to try, but have heard great things: Orval, Hill Farmstead E., Westvleteren Blonde, Russian River Redemption and Deification, Jolly Pumpkin Luciernaga
• Solid picks on a budget: More tasting needed!

Saison / Farmhouse Ale

• Basic profile / tasting notes: Saisons / Farmhouse Ales are light in color, well-carbonated from secondary-fermentation, feature bright lemon, yeast, pepper, wheat, and straw notes, and are crisp, dry, and very refreshing, pairing well with a wide variety of foods. Fantastic summer beers. ABV usually around 7%, though historically much lower.
• History: In the hot old days, farmers needed something thirst-quenching to tide them through the hot summer working hours. In anticipation of this, they started brewing ale in the winter, storing it in farmhouses to allow it to ferment. When summer rolled around, they had a low ABV, extremely refreshing beer ready for their enjoyment. Sort of a Gatorade of beers, in the best sense possible.
• Brewing notes: Saison / Farmhouse Ale are a smaller sub-set of Belgian Ales, and my personal favorite style of Belgian Ale. These beers almost always undergo secondary fermentation of specific strains of yeast within the bottle, which is often corked and cage in a manner similar to Champagne.
• Tasted and strongly recommended: Goose Island Sofie, Anchorage Love Buzz, Hill Farmstead Florence
• Yet to try, but have heard great things: Hill Farmstead Ann(a) (or any of HFs Saisons), Fantome Saison, Boulevard Brewing Saison - Brett
• Solid picks on a budget: Goose Island Sofie, Ommegang Hennepin, Saison Dupont Veielle Provision, and Brooklyn Sorachi Ace

Sour / Wild Ale / Lambic / Berliner Weisse / Flanders Red Ale / Gueuze

• Basic profile / tasting notes: Commonly defined as "funky" in taste, with distinct sour tartness that may cause a pleasant smacking of lips or tinge of the tongue. Depending on which of the smaller sub-divisions of this style the beer in question belongs to, this sour flavor may be woven in with straw, yeast, smoke, wheat, fruit, or vegetal flavors as well
• History: All beer benefits from the specific introduction of a specific type or types of yeasts (brewers' yeasts) thats quantity and fermentation are heavily controlled to achieve the desired results. With sour beers, brewers of old permitted open air exposure to locally occurring airborne yeasts. Through trial and error, the technicals of this process were improved.
• Brewing notes: Again, this is an agglomerative category unified more by certain hallmarks of brewing process, namely the introduction of wild yeasts whose fermentation results in a tart, lactic, sour taste. Theoretically, any beer can be made "sour" in this fashion, but historically, most of this experimentation had occurred in Belgium, with lambic and gueuze beers being the most common substrates for the process. Often undergo secondary fermentation in the bottle. Production requires a long time period and a higher risk of spoilage due to the introduction of the less controllable wild yeasts.
• Tasted and strongly recommended: Dogfish Head Festina Pesche, Goose Island Juliet, Cisco Brewing Lady of the Woods, Cantillon Kriek, Cantillon Gueuze
• Yet to try, but have heard great things: Cigar City Pilot Series Berliner Weisses (Jonathan Wakefield, the guest brewer at CCB for these, has a Midas touch - his *pilot* beers have landed in the top 5 beers *in the world*; can't wait for him to have some regular lines), Cigar City Jolly Guava Grove, Russian River Supplication, Consecration, Beatification, Temptation, and Sanctification, Lost Abbey Cable Car, Goose Island Madame Rose, Cantillon Fou Foune (+ any Cantillon Sours / Lambics), 3 Fonteinen Framboos (+ any 3 Fonteinen Sours / Lambics)
• Solid picks on a budget: More tasting needed, though sours almost never come in anything but relatively expensive single bottle formats.

Wheat Ale / Weiss Bier / Witbier / Hefeweizen

• Basic profile / tasting notes: Golden hued, light-bodied, noticeable fresh wheat taste, what hoppiness that may be present is usual expressed without bitterness, extremely refreshing and a great style for summer drinking, usually 4-6% ABV
• History: Wheat Ales are one of the original blasphemies against the Reinheitsgebot, or German / Bavarian Beer Purity Law of 1487/1514. This ordinance explicitly limited brewers to utilizing only three ingredients in beer production - water, barley, and hops (the all important yeast was scientifically unaccounted for at that point in history, but was present through airborne contact or carry-over contact from previous batches). One explanation for this seemingly Draconian enactment is that Bavarian authorities wanted to take brewers out of market purchasing competition with bakers for wheat. A more sympathetic take revolves around a real concern for purity - the stabilizing and disinfecting agents used in medieval beers in Bavaria ranged from from mushroom to nettles to herb pastes of unclear origin; mandating the use of hops maintained an anti-microbial benefit but also helped standardized safety and quality. Nevertheless, brewers elsewhere in Europe, mainly Belgium, kept traditions of using wheat in brewing alive. However, by the time WWII had come to a close, many of these breweries had gone out of business - the once busy brewing town of Hoegaarden in Belgium shuttered its last in 1957. But then! Enter a hero of beer! Pierre Celis, who had worked at a brewery there before it closed, gambled that he could revive the town's famous "Witbier" style. Adding coriander and orange peel for subtle flavoring, Celis successfully completed his first new batch around 1967. By 1980, the brew had been so successful that it rapidly expanded operations into an industrial-sized plant - Wheat Ale appeared to have been saved. A freak fire, though destroyed the plant soon after, and Celis was forced to sell Hoegaarden as a brand to the international brewing conglomerate inBev. Thankfully, Celis was not one to give up, and even more thankfully, this treasured style was not to stay in Europe - Pierre Celis took the jump across the pond and opened Celis Brewery in Austin, Texas in 1992. In one form or another, this state-side outpost continued to put out the Witbier that Celis had given back to the world. Over in Germany, it was not until 1988 that imports of beers not in compliance with the Reinheitsgebot was allowed - and though the rules excluding wheat in brewing are whole-sale flouted today, they remain officially on the books.
• Brewing notes: Wheat Ales' defining "wheat-y" taste comes from the characteristic addition of wheat above and beyond the malted barley already incorporated. German Weiss Biers featured malted wheat in lieu of the standard wheat. Either clear or foggy depending on whether the Wheat Ale is filtered or unfiltered. Wheat Ales can be, and often are, subjected to the souring process, resulting in Berliner Weisses or Lambics.
• Tasted and strongly recommended: Weihenstephaner Heffe-Weissen, Bells Oberon, Allagash Witte
• Yet to try, but have heard great things: 3 Floyds Gumballhead, New Glarus Dancing Man Wheat
• Solid picks on a budget: Weihenstephaner Heffe-Weissen, Bells Oberon, Allagash Witte

Brown Ale / Red Ale / Mild Ale

• Basic profile / tasting notes: Brown to reddish to caramel colored, with varying levels of hoppiness (Red Ales generally have more than Brown Ales), but comparatively stronger maltiness that leads to a sweet quality, ABV usually 5-7%
• History: A wide diversity, but this category's roots can be traced through English and Scottish ales.
• Brewing notes: Fairly standard ales, without too many differentiating characteristics.
• Tasted and strongly recommended: AleSmith My Bloody Valentine
• Yet to try, but have heard great things: Cigar City Brewing seems to be the name in more interesting iterations of these styles.
• Solid picks on a budget: More tasting needed!

Fruit / Vegetable Beer

• Basic profile / tasting notes: Varies heavily depending on the fruit involved, coloration can very from brilliant and vivid to more muted and brown, often sweet and / or sour with very little in the way of hop taste, can be more or less fruit-centric
• History: Beer tasted good, fruit did too - and adding them together to meld in a beautiful marriage  was destined to be delicious.
• Brewing notes: A bit of a manufactured category, as fruit beers can cross the lines between many other distinct styles (including Lambics, Belgians, and Berline Weisses), united only by the central presence of fruit juice in the fermentation process.
• Tasted and strongly recommended: New Glarus Raspberry Tart, New Glarus Belgian Red, Dogfish Head Festina Pesche, Cantillon Kriek
• Yet to try, but have heard great things: Cantillon Fou Foune, 3 Fonteinen Framboos, Kuhnenn Raspberry Eisbock, New Glarus Serendipity
• Solid picks on a budget: More tasting needed!

Pale Lager / Pilsner

• Basic profile / tasting notes: Light golden yellow to golden orange in color, light hop aroma, good carbonation, light hop taste with a stronger malt one; poor examples of the style abound - see the vast majority of the US beer market - foul, urine-colored-and-scented, essentially tasteless "brews" that are good for nothing but drinking games (which are fun, but hey - you're not here because you're looking for the best style of beer to fill your slap-cup Red Solos with); ABV tends to be 4-6%
• History: There's a whole book to be written here - I'll do a designated post later on regarding the history and development of lagers.
• Brewing notes: As discussed in the Beer and Brewing Basics section, lagers develop using bottom/colder fermenting yeast, and are then stored ("lager" is storehouse in German) at cold temperatures as well for conditioning.
• Tasted and strongly recommended: Pilsner Urquell
• Yet to try, but have heard great things: Victory Prima Pils, Heater Allen Pils, New Glarus Hometown Blonde, Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold
• Solid picks on a budget: More tasting needed!

Dark Lager / Bock

• Basic profile / tasting notes: Brown to dark brown in color, smooth mouthfeel, malty taste with little bitterness, ABV usually 5-7%
• History: There's a whole book to be written here - I'll do a designated post later on regarding the history and development of lagers.
• Brewing notes: Same as above - lagers develop using bottom/colder fermenting yeast, and are then stored at cold temperatures as well for conditioning. Dark Lagers derive their darker color from more toasted barley.
• Tasted and strongly recommended: Brooklyn Lager
• Yet to try, but have heard great things: Schneider Weisse Aventinus, Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock
• Solid picks on a budget: More tasting needed!

Sources

• RateBeer.com
• BeerAdvocate.com
• Michael Jackson's "The Beerhunter" - http://www.beerhunter.com/beerstyles.html
• The Oxford Companion to Beer - Ed. Garrett Oliver (of Brooklyn Brewery fame!)
• The Journal of the Brewery History Society Online
• Alcoholica Esoterica - Ian Lendler
• Wikipedia
• Personal (drinking) experience!