Beer is Brewtiful as Life

As I wrote in a previous article, there are several ways to classify beer; by fermentation, aspect, process, etc. However, beer can fit into multiple categories. So, let’s take advantage of Oktoberfest and let’s keep talking about beer.

Here we have the different classifications:

Classic Ale Beer

Pale Ale (Traditional English beer, copper color, bitter taste)

Indian Pale Ale (Strong hops and caramel malt taste. Fruity accent and whitish foam)

Red Ale (Amber, caramel malt taste. Medium level taste and low bitterness. Light whitish foam)

Brown Ale (From Northern England. Dark amber. Light hops taste, whitish foam. Nutty taste)

Stout (Irish, intense black, very creamy, strong toasted malt taste)

Porter (Dark, lighter than a Stout. Toasted malt, barley and sometimes chocolate flavors)

Russian Imperial Stout (Extra strong dark, intense character, roasted fruit taste. High content of alcohol. Intense tanned colored foam)

Barley Wine (Very strong, dark, often with dry fruit and caramel taste).

Wheat Ales Beer

Bavarian Weizen/Weissbier (Bavarian, made out of wheat. Turbid, pale or amber, banana taste and clove accent. Long lasting white foam)

American Wheat (American, made from wheat. Pale, golden color, long lasting white foam. Bitterer than the German wheat beers)

Weizenbock (Made of wheat. German. Color is between amber and dark golden. Turbid, fruity aroma and taste. Long lasting light brown foam).

Pale Lagers Beer

Pilsner -Bohemian and Bavarian- (Produced for the first time in Czech Republic, and afterwards in Germany. Light color, it has an intense golden color, light and white foam)

Dortmunder (Full-bodied beer, a more intense taste of hops than a Pilsner)

Standard American Lager (Pale yellow color, very bubbly, white foam that dissipates quickly).

Related: Don´t Worry, Beer Happy in Oktoberfest

Amber and Dark Lagers

Oktoberfest (From Germany. Amber. With dazzling brightness, and rich aroma of German malt)

Munich Dunkel (Bavarian style, very soft, strong malt taste, a little sweet, and creamy light brown foam)

American Amber Lager (Craft beer version of Lager beer. Full caramel taste and more hops aroma than its European predecessors).

Bock Strong Lagers

Bock (Profound and intense amber color, toasted malt taste. Little presence of hops and great creamy white foam)

Doppelbock (Darker version of Bock with very strong malt taste, great caramel aroma and more alcohol content).

Specialty Beer

Fruity or spicy (High content of fruits or spices. Not considered within any other traditional style)

Hyper-Beers (Alcohol content higher than 20%, taste and audacity similar to sherry or port wine).

My three favorite beers

The Mexican favorite is Negra Modelo, called “la crème of beers”, it has a dark bottle, and a Golden label. With low fermentation, golden honey-like color; malt, hop and caramel taste.

Then comes the Mexican beer of winter holidays, Noche Buena. Lager Bock type, with intense color and taste. The notes of malt mix together very well with the notes of hops, and a slight smoky, caramel aftertaste with a hint of bitter coffee.

My favorite beer in the whole world is Weissbier Natürtrub.  –with no filtration- (German Wheat Ale), from a Bavarian monastery (specifically, of Franciscan monks). With snowy white foam and pale golden turbid color. Perceived in the nose with fruity notes that remind me of a banana, and the wheat notes hints the taste of freshly baked bread, as with acid and spicy notes. It is a very refreshing and filling beer. German people call it liquid bread for a reason.

Which are your favorites?

Cheers! Prost!