Scottish ale is an outstandingly full-bodied, round beer, usually quite dark, sweet and with a malty, roasted flavour. Many of the Scottish ales are Belgian products.

Special beer

Many of the local Belgian beers cannot really be classified into separate styles. They actually come under the heading of Belgian ales, but show great variations from one to the other.

Stout

Stout should do its name justice and possess a high degree of ruggedness. The available styles all have a deep black colour and the flavour of toasted malt. Bitter, sweet and dry are all possible, but a stout should always have a firm, creamy head.

Wheat beer

Wheat beer occurs in the spicy Belgian form, brewed with unmalted wheat and with adjuncts of spices and orange peels. This beer has a slightly sourish and spicy flavour and is cloudy. The German variant is brewed with malted wheat and has no further adjuncts. There are versions containing yeast, which are cloudy, and versions that are filtered and therefore clear (Kristall). Wheat beers need not necessarily be straw. These beers are fresh and slightly tart.

Trappist

There are only six brands in the world that are allowed to call their beers Trappist. They all make top-fermenting beers that are close to the Belgian ales and barley wines.

Flanders brown

This beer is a Belgian top-fermenting speciality. The beer, red-brown in colour, has undergone a maturation period of one year or longer and is then blended with a younger beer. Owing to its long ageing in oak it has a slightly sweet-sourish flavour. The alcohol content is around 5%.

White beer

White beer is the same as wheat beer. There are some German versions that oddly call their dark wheat beers 'dark white beer' (Weissbier Dunkel). Germans use the terms white beer (Weissbier) and wheat beer (Weizenbier) indiscriminately.

Source:
The complete encyclopedia of beer – B. Verhoef. 1998 Rebo Productions b.v., Lisse, The Netherlands