BEER 101: Lager, ale and lagered ale + tasting notes for Beau's Lug Tread

There are two main families of beer: lager and ale.

Lager uses bottom fermenting yeast and is aged at very cold temperatures.

Ales use top fermenting yeast and are aged at room or "cellar" temperature.

As a result of these differences:

Lagers tend to be smoother and better served at colder temperatures.

Ales tend to be fruitier. This is a result of the esters released through the brewing process.

*Please note the use of the word "tend." There are really no hard and fast rules, just tendencies. Some lagers are fruity, some ales are smooth. It is true, though, that more esters tend to be created when using top-fermenting yeast.

Today's tasting notes are for Beau's Lug Tread Lagered Ale from Vankleek, Ontario. What's a lagered ale, you ask? It's more commonly known as a Kolsch, but not in this case because Kolsch is a term that can only be used when the beer is made in Cologne, Germany. So, when made here, it's a lagered ale.

Kolsch (or lagered ale) is a beer that is made with top-fermenting yeast, like an ale, but aged at near-freezing temperatures like a lager. It's very refreshing.

Here are the tasting notes:

Nice head, lots of fizz/nutty smell/A little bit of spice/It's 30 degree weather out, and this is the perfect beer/One of the most refreshing beers I've had/I love this beer/Very clean/Strong peanut butter aroma, with slight peanut butter taste. (I've only ever tasted this peanut butter aroma/taste in one other beer: Black Oak Pale Ale. Can anyone identify what gives the beer this taste?)/I could drink a lot of this beer, good thing it comes in such large bottles/taste ends abruptly, leaves you hurrying for the next sip.