TOPIC:

As far as I can see, darker beers are seen as more suitable in winter only because paler beers are seem to be more refreshing during warm summer weather. I mean is the malt flavour of a dark ale actually any more suitable to colder weather? Me I drink a light or dark beer depending on what mood I'm in regardless of the weather; put another way if it's cold weather a pale ale is as good as a dark ale.

Or is there a good reason for winter ales being dark, something historical?

I think it's purely psychological. People think of dark beers as heavier and richer, but as anyone who brews their their own beer knows, colour is not a good indicator of that.

Also, aswell as the colour, winter ales tended to be stronger. You don't get many very strong pale lagers, for example, and when you do they're usually embarassing to be seen with,

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I was thinking that, the imperial stout has more of a tradition than the imperial pale ale which is an exploration of the craft beer generation (correct me if I'm wrong).

I still think that that people tend towards pale beers in sunny times so by default the darker beers are assumed suitable for the duck weather.

In colder climes the stronger, darker ales were used to fortify labouring workers against the cold and their work. Paler, more refreshing ales would have been used as thirst quenchers in the warmed months.

Open to correction / ridicule.

Dark beers tend to, but obviously not always, have flavours like chocolate, coffee and rich fruits which people would associate with colder weather and wintertime.

On the other hand, a pale ale with with citrus and tropical fruit flavours is obviously going to remind people more of summer.