This page is dedicated to informing you a bit about a few styles, namely: Lagers, Pilsners, and Kolschs. I will also provide links to the reviews I have done for some of these light beers.
To start, let's break down the different types of beers here and list some of the defining characteristics of each:
German Pilsner: German pilsners are characterized by a light straw to gold color, with rich, dense head. These beers are typically well hopped, with spicy herbal/floral aromas and flavors. The last defining characteristic is their citrus flavor, and hop bitterness can be high in some of these brews. ABV is typically 4-5.5% Examples: Victory Brewery's Prima Pils, Beck's, St. Pauli Girl, New Belgium's New Paddle Pilsner, etc.
Light Lager: These beers are very low in malt, and have a light, dry body. Hop character is very low and hops are typically only used to balance out the low level of malts. This beer is the type known to have the least amount of flavor. Similarly, they also have a low ABV of 2.5-5%. Examples: Bud Light, Coors Light, Miller Lite, Amstel Light, Corona Light, etc.
American Pale Lager: These beers typically do not use corn or rice as adjuncts, and are thus broader in depth and malt flavor than some other beers listed here. Somewhat hop complex will accompany this beer. The beer will be yellow and fizzy, but should be very drinkable. Examples: Kirin Ichiban, Michelob, New Glarus' Totally Naked, Full Sail's Session Lager, etc.
American Adjunct Lager: The focus on this beer is typically mass production; it is characterized by low levels of bitterness, thin maltiness, and a moderate level of alcohol. These beers will be light bodied, fizzy, and pale. Examples: Budweiser Lager, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Corona Extra, Miller High Life, Red Stripe Jamaican Lager, Miller Genuine Draft, Foster's Lager, etc.
Kolsch: These beers will be light-to-medium bodied, with a pale color. Taste will be grape-ish, and the hop profile can be quite strong. These beers will typically be quite dry as well, but quite drinkable due to their light body. Examples: Flying Dog's Tire Bit Golden Ale, Goose Island's Summertime, Harpoon Summer Beer, Dundee Kolsch Style Ale, etc.
So there you have it - a review of the basic styles of lagers, pilsners, and kolschs. Now here are the beers I've reviewed so far with their respective breweries/grades:
Summertime - Goose Island Brewing: B (Kolsch)
Prima Pils - Victory Brewing Company: A (Pilsner)
Spaten Lager - Spaten-Franziskaner Brau: B (German Lager)
Harp Lager - Guinness Ltd.: D+ (European Pale Lager)
Totally Naked - New Glarus: C- (American Pale Lager)
Enjoy!
Cheers,
Hurls
Editors note: Thanks to BeerAdvocate.com for some help with the characteristics/descriptions.
