Beer Styles

What kind of beer is Castle Lager? It's a pale, bottom-fermented lager at five percent ABV. It tastes lightly malty, carries minimal bitterness, and finishes dry and crisp. Internationally, it falls into the category of pale international lagers, somewhat milder than a German Pilsner.

The difference from Pilsner lies in bitterness. A German Pilsner typically carries 22 to 40 bitterness units—what brewers call IBU—while an international lager sits well below that. The maize in the mash makes it lighter still. Pilsner drinkers may find Castle mild, but served cold at a braai, it hits exactly the right note. Both reactions make sense, since beer always tastes partly of the weather you're drinking it in.

The second classic is Milk Stout. At around six percent ABV, it's more full-bodied, dark as coffee, and strikingly smooth on the palate. It's top-fermented, with lactose lending sweetness, placing it close to the English Sweet Stout style.

Craft brewers take a third path. Their signature style is IPA—India Pale Ale—a top-fermented, heavily hopped beer with fruit and resin notes. Alongside it, they brew golden ales, ambers, and saisons: light, spicy summer beers originally from Belgium.

The figures in the profile below come from the BJCP style guidelines and describe the style in general, not any single brand. A brewery is free to deviate, and many do.