Better Know a Beer Style: English Pale Ale

Beer Style 8C: English Pale Ale

Appearance: Gold to deep copper with good to brilliant clarity. Low to moderate off-white head.

Aroma: Hops range from moderately low to high, no extremes, with varieties of UK hops. Medium to big malts with caramel and fruity esters.

Flavor: Medium-medium high bitterness and hops flavor with balancing caramel malt. Secondary malt flavors are nutty and biscuity. Fruity esters, slight alcohol taste, low levels of diacetyl are acceptable.

Overall: Stronger flavors than a bitter, and may overlap with lighter old ales.

Recipe:
For 5 Gals
8.5# British Pale Ale malt
1# Crystal 60L
2 oz. EKG 5%AA at 60 min

Mash @ 154 F
English Ale yeast

OG: 1.048-1.060
FG: 1.010-1.016
IBU: 30-50
SRM: 6-18
ABV: 4.6-6.2%

Case Study: Boddington's
Golden color with a nice white head and retention. Almost no smell, and what there was just reminded me of stale bread. Taste was very light with a hint of earthy hops. Couldn't make out any grain, but at least it was inoffensive and washed down my food.

Better Know a Beer Style: Northern English Brown Ale

In an effort to break all this info down more easily, I'm going to drop the whole sentence thing.

Style 11C: Northern English Brown Ale

Appearance: Dark amber to red-brown body with an off-whit to tan head

Aroma: Hops are light and malt dominates with light toffee, nutty, and caramel notes. Fruity esters may also be evident

Taste: Gentle to moderate malt sweetness, nutty, light-caramel character. May have toast, biscuit, and toffee. Bitterness is low-medium to medium, hop-malt balance is even, hop flavor is low to none. Fruit esters and low diacetyl are acceptable.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light to medium body

Overall: More hops than a Southern English Brown, along with more nutty character than caramel

Ingredients: English mild or pale ale malt for base with caramel malts, small amount of dark malts for nutty character and color, English hops, moderate carbonate water.

OG: 1.040-1.052
FG: 1.008-1.013
IBU: 20-30
SRM: 12-22
ABV: 4.2-5.4%

Case Study: Bar Harbor Real Ale

This beer seems pretty on the mark for style, and to be specific I'd call this a Northern English brown ale for the toasty character. It's a dark brown body with ruby accent, but little head retention. The aroma is deepy bready, like a dark loaf with crust and toasted elements. The flavor carries those same tastes into the flavor, but adds subtle cocoa, toffee, and caramel notes. The yeast actually seems to be pretty clean in character as there aren't any creamy or fruity flavors. The mouthfeel is on the light side of medium with slightly assertive carbonation. All in all, a complex, tasty and drinkable ale. I'd like to try this on cask.

Better Know a Beer Style: English Barleywine

Style 19B: English Barleywine
This is the biggest, richest, and maltiest of English beers. It can appear anywhere from gold to a dark amber or brown, with a low off-white head with poor retention from the alcohol. The aroma is strongly malty with caramel-like malts that can include bread, toast, toffee, or molassess and strong fruitiness. The hops aroma can vary from mild to strong and the alcohol may be low to moderately evident. If aged, the aroma can take on a sherry character.

The flavor, of course, hits on the same malty notes to make for a complex mixture of nutty, biscuit, bready, or caramel malts, along with toffee or molasses. The fruity esters often have a dried fruit character. Really, this beer can envelope nearly any strong malt flavor. The flavor should be moderately sweet at the least and can be accompanied by complex alcohol flavors. The hops can range from balancing to strongly bitter with similarly strong, typically UK flavors. Low to no diacetyl.

This style should feel chewy and full-bodied, with a velvety smooth texture and alcohol warmth. Carbonation should be low to moderate and body can decline with age. Compared to an American barleywine, there will be less emphasis on hops and darker, maltier, and fruiter.

The ingredients use well-modified pale malts as the backbone with a large component of caramel malts. Dark malts should be used sparingly, as most color comes from the long boil. Examples of appropriate English hops are Northdown, Taret, EKG, and Fuggles. An English yeast with great character is also preferred.

OG: 1.080-1.1020+
FG:1.018-1.030+
IBU: 35-70
SRM: 8-22
ABV: 8-12%+

Case Study: Rock Art Brewery Ridge Runner

Certainly an interesting barleywine. At first it comes off like a really big, or double, ESB, as it has very bready and biscuity malt flavors as opposed to the more traditional big, fruity malt. The balance also clearly tips toward the big, grassy, earthy hops here, making it feel more American in bitterness. My only complaint is that the mouthfeel is a little thin and watery at times. The hops do a good job of keeping the drinkability up, in a nice hoppy way. Worth a try if you like ESB's, big English hops, and something different for a barleywine.

Better Know a Beer Style: Munich Dunkel Lager

Style 4B: Munich Dunkel Lager

This is classic German brown lager was developed around Munich's moderately carbonate water. The aroma should have a rich, bready Munich malt sweetness that comes off like bread crust or toast. This style should be free of fruity esters and diacetyl in aroma and flavor, but a bit of Noble hops is appropriate.

In addition to the bready malt, there can be accents of chocolate, nuts, and caramel. Burnt grains are inappropriate and the malt should be less rich than a bock. The hops should be noticeable, but low and the sweetness should be balanced so it's not cloying. The aftertaste should be a medium-dry, possibly with a slight astringency, and the body should be medium to medium-heavy. Overall, this is about as close as beer gets to liquid bread, especially is unfiltered.

Munich malt can make up to 100% of the grist (grain bill), but pilsner malt can also provide the base and a little crystal malt can add color and dextrins. Roasted malt can also be added for light flavors, but should be in small amounts. Moderately carbonate water is appropriate, along with lager yeast, and a decoction (up to a triple) can add flavor and color.

OG: 1.048-1.056
FG: 1.010-1.016
ABV: 4.5-5.6%
IBU: 18-28
SRM: 14-28

Case Study: Sly Fox Dunkel Lager

Good for the style but a little lacking in complexity. There's distinct (and tasty) Munich malts with dark licorice flavors. The body is light-medium and incredibly smooth and drinkable. A great German session beer. I appreciate that I can get this fresh from a local brewer instead of having to try a green bottle that's been shipped thousands of miles.

Better Know a Beer Style: Irish Red Ale

Style 9D: Irish Red Ale

This Irish session beer is known for its dark amber and red color and easy drinkability. Aside from the color, the appearance should be clear with an off-white to tan head. The aroma will mild and dominated by the malt character, which typically resembles caramel. Toasty and toffee aromas are also appropriate along with a touch of butter and low levels of hops.

Smooth caramel malts are the signature taste and can, again, be backed up with toasted grains and caramel. A light English hop flavor is acceptable along with a touch of roasted grains-which will increase bitterness. The flavor will finish dry to medium-dry and will basically be free of esters and clean, especially if a lager yeast is used.

The body will feel on the light side of medium, or just medium. Low levels of diacetyl might add a slick feel. Carbonation will be moderate and the beer will feel smooth overall and stronger versions may have an alcohol warmth.

The ingredients can include adjuncts, but this beer is molts made of pale European malts with a touch of roasted specialty malts and UK hops and yeast.

When it comes down to it, this beer is a malt-focused, easy-drinking pint.

OG: 1.044-1.060
FG: 1.010-1.014
IBU: 17-28
SRM: 9-18
ABV: 4-6%

Case Study: O'Hara's Irish Red Ale

Looks normal enough with a red body and white head has hangs around for a few minutes. The aroma is distinctly import in that it smells like its been abused and there might be adjunct used or simply DMS floating around. The beer is properly malt centric with a smooth caramel flavor that feels creamy going down. What can I say, I'd be better fresh and it wasn't bad for washing down some dinner. I'd take a fresh Killian's over this any day.

Better Know a Beer Style: German Maibock

Style 5A: Maibock/Helles bock

The maibock is the newest member of the bock style, being developed after the advent of light beer in the 19th century. The name simply means "May bock" or "light-colored bock" and it's a spring beer.

The color is generally a clear, golden amber with a white, creamy head. The aroma will be rich with malt and possibly include a slight toasted note and light melanoidins. There may also be a low, spicy and grassy hops aroma and/or fruit esters. Alcohol is appropriate in small amounts given the strength of this beer and DMS may be present from the use of pils malt.

A strong pale European malts flavor will dominate the taste, with, like in the aroma, light toast, esters, DMS, melanoidins (a licorice-like bock flavor), and noble (grassy) hops. Overall, it should be a smooth and clean flavor, on the sweetside, but not cloying. The carbonation and body should both be medium, or on the strong side. And hops will be more evident than in other bocks.

Pilsner malt should make up the base for this beer and have additions of Vienna and Munich malt for character. Noble hops are a must, along with soft water to avoid astringency. And decoction may be used to a small degree (so as to keep the color in check) like with other bocks.

OG: 1.064-1.072
FG: !.011-1.018
IBU: 23-35+
SRM: 6-11
ABV: 6.3-7.4%

Case Study: Pennsylvania Brewing Co. - Penndemonium

I'm struck by two things with this beer: First, the flavor is too subtle for an 8% beer. Second, this beer is incredibly drinkable. I feel more like I'm drinking some weird German bock hybrid of the English bitter. All the flavors, the grassy hops, bready malt, and sharp bock fruit ester are all a touch muted. At the same time, this beer feels exceedingly creamy in a great way and my bottle is empty in no time. While it's a shame this beer isn't richer, it will also sneak up on you.

Better Know a Beer Style: Russian Imperial Stout

Style 13F: Russian Imperial Stout

English in origin, this high-gravity, heavily-hopped stout was brewed for export to Russia and the Baltic states. Now it's popular with American craft brewers for its complex aroma and flavor.

The appearance is always a pitch black body with a tan head. The aroma is a mixed pot of roasted grains, fruity esters, hops, and alcohol. The malt usually takes on coffee and chocolate flavors along with burnt grains. Dark fruit and specialty malt aromas like caramel may add complexity, but the dark grains take center stage.

Those complex elements should carry right over into the flavor for an intense mixture of grains, hop, and esters. The hops can get aggressive and the chocolate expands to unsweetened bakers cocoa, mocha coffee, and milk chocolate. With age it can take on sherry or port character. The alcohol may be evident, but shouldn't be sharp.

Well-modified pale malts make up most of the grain bill, along with generous portions of roasted malts. Any malt or hops can make up a part of these complex recipes. American of English yeast strains can also be used and alkaline water helps to balance the acidic roasted malts.

OG: 1.075-1.095+
FG: 1.018-1.030
IBU: 50-90+
SRM: 30-40
ABV: 8-12%+

Case Study: Hoppin' Frog B.O.R.I.S. The Crusher Oatmeal-Imperial Stout

Yeah it's big and it's big and chocolaty, but I didn't find this to be a particularly outstanding. It appeared pitch black with a tan head in my pint glass. The aroma is a mix of cocoa and burnt grains. The oats contribute to a very smooth flavor, but I'm thrown off by the feel and balance between what seems to be citrus hops and chocolate malts. They just aren't working. It makes for a less than ideal feel, but this beer is still very drinkable for it's size and weight.