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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

Although the name pale ale originated in 18th-century England, it was mainly used for brews that were made with pale barley malt and which were slightly lighter than the standard dark and brown beers. To add to the confusion, the name was often used interchangeably with the term bitter—and to this day the difference in these two styles is somewhat vague.

India pale ale is one of the most intriguing beer styles whose origin is still widely disputed, but it is believed that it first appeared out of necessity to transport pale ale brews to distant British colonies—namely India—because the climate in the colonies was too hot to brew beer.