According to this recent article, the French tend to describe a beer more by its colour than by its style. Sorting beers into white, blonde, amber, brown or black sometimes means missing the essential point: taste.
Please note that the taste character of beer comes not just from the malts, but also from the hops and yeast, which makes it difficult to assess a beer solely by its colour. A heavily hopped beer will be more bitter, and certain yeasts will contribute fruity notes.