Imperial stout is a strong and opaque dark beer that was first brewed in London, but which is mostly associated with Russia, Baltic countries, and recently with the United States. Modern imperial stouts will typically range from deep red to dark brown.

They are full-bodied, rich, complex, and intense with typical flavors of roasted malt, dark and dried fruit, chocolate, and coffee. Most varieties will be high in alcohol, typically between 8 to 12% ABV, and they will mostly be high in hops and bitter hop flavors. 

Scotch ale is a beer style distinguished for its malty character and rich caramel flavors. These big, bold, and full-bodied beers are typically light copper to dark-brown and mostly have a high alcohol content, usually falling between 6 to 10% ABV range.

Their aromas and flavors are dominated by rich malty expressions and caramel-like qualities, along with typical notes of molasses, dried fruit, and plums. They often have some malty sweetness on the palate, while the hop aroma and flavor are low or absent. 

Sweet stout is a beer style that is usually brewed with the addition of milk sugar (lactose). It is also known as cream or milk stout, and it emerged in England sometime in the early 1900s. Sweet stouts are dark and full-bodied beers that have grainy malt flavors and aromas, often with hints of coffee and chocolate.

They are smooth and creamy, with medium hop bitterness, while their malty character is well-balanced with medium to high sweetness. Sweet stouts are an ideal pairing with chocolate desserts, but they can also work well with creamy cheese varieties, spicy dishes, game, and rich sauces. 

Stouts are top-fermented beers that are typically dark and have distinctive roasted flavors. Their introduction is closely connected to British porter—a style that was developed in London sometime in the 18th century. Stout evolved from the desire to create a fuller and stronger porter, though this distinction is no longer present.

Typical stout will have aromas of roasted barley and roasted malt reminiscent of coffee, chocolate, or cocoa. Traditional dry stouts range from black to deep brown and are usually medium-light to medium-full in body, smooth, creamy, and silky. They typically have little hop character and a long dry finish. 

This sub-style of the classic stout is brewed with the addition of oatmeal. The style first became popular in England, sometime in the late 19th century. The beers falling in this category are typically dark and smooth, with a roasted malt character and aromas that are reminiscent of coffee.

The addition of oatmeal will usually provide subtle sweetness and sometimes earthy, grainy, and nutty flavor. Hop bitterness can vary, but it is usually low to moderate. Oatmeal stouts pair well with roasted meat, rich and spicy sauces, clams, oysters, and chocolate, caramel, or fruit desserts.

Porter is a beer style that was created in London sometime in the 18th century, but well-balanced and aromatic modern varieties do not share many similarities to the original version. Roughly defined, porter is a versatile dark ale made from dark malted barley and a hefty amount of hops.

This versatile style is usually characterized by roasted, malty flavors and medium hop bitterness. Nowadays, most porter styles are classified as brown, robust, and Baltic. It is believed that this style first appeared in London alehouses that used to store three types of beer: aged, fresh, and strong, which would then be mixed in various blends. 

Contrary to its name, barley wine is a beer style that is best known for its dominant malty character. It is a type of extra-strong ale that has originated in England, but it is now produced worldwide. Although the name first came into use in 1903 with the introduction of No.1 Burton Ale by Bass Brewing, the style existed well before that, but it probably appeared under different names.

As a style, barley wine is sometimes difficult to describe as it is incredibly versatile and often overlaps with other types. It is one of the strongest beer styles, with an alcohol content that usually falls between 7 to 12% ABV. British barley wine has a somewhat sherry-like and malty-sweet character with moderate hop bitterness and toffee and dried fruit aroma and flavors. 

Cask ale, also known as real ale, is a traditional type of beer made with natural ingredients and served directly from the vessel in which it was fermented. It is allowed to mature naturally, and it does not include any injections of additional carbon dioxide.

Cask Ale is not filtered or pasteurized and is still active on the yeast. The result is a unique brew that cannot be artificially recreated. Most examples of cask ale will be soft, round, and gently carbonated, with a more complex aroma and flavor than factory-produced brews. 

English pale ale is an incredibly versatile beer style that first originated when breweries started to use pale barley malt, which resulted in brews that were lighter than standard varieties at the time. Its place of origin is mainly associated with Burton-on-Trent, and its invention largely coincided with the development of Indian pale ales.

Through history, this intricate style was known under various names such as sparkling ale, dinner ale, or bitter ale. Nowadays, this style is typically gold to bronze in color, and it can range from 4.5%–5.5% ABV.