A diverse category of ales, ranging from pale, light and fruity to dark brown, robust and potent beers. Belgian ales are mainly characterised by the yeast variety used in brewing, which gives a very sweet, fruity aroma. But although the aroma seems sweet, the taste is not always so. For the strongest varieties of these beers, the brewers use sugar to increase the alcohol content. Belgian ales are usually rather low in bitterness with little noticeable hops in the taste or aroma.