When it comes to beer, the choices these days are endless. From bitters and lagers to craft beers and session ales, when it comes to which is the beer for you, the team at Tomos Watkin can help. We’ve come up with a buyers’ guide to help discerning beer drinkers to understand the different types of beer which are available, and which may suit your personal palate.
The Most Common Types of Beer
Lager
Lager is the most popular of all beers. This brew was originally a Czech invention that came out of new techniques that allowed malt to be lightly kilned so it remained pale. It uses different yeast from ales and needs a longer, cooler fermentation. The majority of popular brands are pale lagers, which are brewed to be crisp and refreshing, with a smooth finish. They have high carbonation and medium to high hop flavour.
Our very own brand of Magic Lagyr is brewed using the finest floor malted barley, German lager hops, Danish yeast and the purest Welsh water, resulting in a clean and refreshing lager that will have you coming back for more.
Dark Ales
Ales tend to be darker and fuller-bodied than lagers, as well as being more robust, complex and bitter, with hints of fruit or spice, and a hoppy finish. There are many types, including bitter, mild, pale ale, abbey ale and nut brown. Ales have more individual characteristics than lager, though their alcoholic strength is similar.
If this type of beer appeals to you, then try our Cwrw Idris brew which has a chocolatey aroma and rich flavour combinations for beer drinkers looking for a full flavour.
IPA and Session Ales
India Pale Ale (or IPA) has been one of the most popular beers for many years. Pale ale originally meant an ale that had been brewed from pale malt and the original IPAs were heavily hopped for transport to colonial India. Session IPA refers to the lower alcohol version which is usually fruity, zesty and bitter.
Tomos Watkin Session Ales are some of the most popular produced at our local brewery in Swansea, South Wales. They include the very popular Cwrw Haf which is very light in colour using no malts but which is still strong in character and flavour; and Blodwen’s Beer which is made from the finest pale malted barley and delicately flavoured with citrus hops.
The latest addition to our range of session ales is Delila, a light golden blonde ale produced using the finest malted barley and American hops, resulting in a refreshing taste with zesty citrus flavours and a hint of spice
Bitter
Bitter, a British style of pale ale, comes in a huge variety of colours, types and strengths from 3% to 7% Alcohol By Volume (ABV).
For years, bitter had a fusty image, coming across as an old man’s drink, suited to dingy pubs and smoky living rooms. But bitter has had a resurgence in recent years and a pint of locally brewed ale is now as popular as lager in many pubs, wine bars, restaurants and other venues.
Our OSB Old Style Bitter is a rich red premium cask ale made with crystal and wheat malts, standing out from the rest thanks to their rich amber hue and full-bodied, fruity taste.
Other Beers
Those mentioned previously are currently the most popular beers in the UK. Other types include:
- Porter: a London-style, dark, almost black, fruity-dry, ale. It is brewed with roasted malts to impart flavour, colour and aroma.
- Stout: similar to Porter but is darker and heavier, with a rich, creamy head, flavoured and coloured by barley.
- Pilsner: a refreshing, crisp and light, yellow lager with a bitter, hoppy flavour.
- Wheat beer: in a wheat beer, a significant quantity of the mash contains wheat, giving the liquid a hazy look, thicker heads and a silky mouthfeel.
Tomos Watkin Beers
All of our most popular beers including lagers, session ales, bitters and dark ales are available to order in bottles or kegs from our online shop https://tomoswatkin.com/
And look out for Tomos Watkin beers which are available in bottles and on pump from a number of local venues across South West Wales.