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Ales : British Origin

 

Guidelines to Beer Style Categories and Subcategories
By Charlie Papazian

These beer style descriptions are guidelines meant to aid in the decision of which category and subcategory to enter beer. Judges will evaluate the beers using their senses of smell, sight, taste and mouthfeel against the standards put forth in these guidelines.

ALES : BRITISH ORIGIN

1. Classic English-Style Pale Ale

Classic English-style pale ales are golden to copper colored and display English-variety hop character. High hop bitterness, flavor and aroma should be evident. This medium-bodied pale ale has low to medium maltiness. Low caramel is allowable. Fruity-ester flavors and aromas are moderate to strong. Chill haze is allowable at cold temperatures. Diacetyl (butterscotch character) should be at very low levels or not perceived.

2. India Pale Ale

India pale ales are characterized by intense hop bitterness with a high alcohol content. A high hopping rate and the use of water with high mineral content result in a crisp, dry beer. This golden to deep copper-colored ale has a full, flowery hop aroma and may have a strong hop flavor (in addition to the hop bitterness). India pale ales possess medium maltiness and body. Fruity-ester flavors and aromas are moderate to very strong. Chill haze is allowable at cold temperatures.

3. English-Style Ordinary Bitter

Ordinary bitters are gold to copper colored with medium bitterness, light to medium body and low to medium residual malt sweetness. Diacetyl and fruity-ester properties should be minimized in this form of bitter.

4. English-Style (Special) Best Bitter

Special bitters are more robust than ordinary bitters. They have medium body and medium residual sweetness. In addition, the special bitter has more hop character than ordinary bitter.

5. English-Style (Extra Special) Strong Bitter

Extra special bitters possess medium to strong hop qualities in aroma, flavor and bitterness. The residual malt sweetness of this richly flavored, full-bodied bitter is more pronounced than in other bitters.

6. Scottish-Style Ales

Characterized by a rounded flavor profile, Scottish-style ales are malty, caramellike, soft and chewy. Hop rates are low. Yeast characters such as diacetyl (butterscotch) and sulfuriness are acceptable at very low levels. Scottish-style ales range from golden amber to deep brown in color and may possess a faint smoky character. Bottled versions of this traditional draft beer may contain higher amounts of carbon dioxide than is typical for draft versions. Chill haze is acceptable at low temperatures.

A. Subcategory: Scottish-Style Light Ale

Scottish-style light ales represent the mildest form of this ale. Little bitterness is perceived. Scottish-style lights are light bodied. Very low hop bitterness is acceptable, and hop flavor or aroma should not be perceived. Chill haze is acceptable at low temperatures.

B. Subcategory: Scottish-Style Heavy Ale

Scottish-style heavy ales are moderate in strength and dominated by a smooth, sweet maltiness balanced with low, but perceptible, hop bitterness. They have medium body, and fruity esters are very low, if evident. Chill haze is acceptable at low temperatures.

C. Subcategory: Scottish-Style Export Ale

Scottish-style export ales are sweet, carmellike and malty. Their bitterness is perceived as low to medium. They have medium body. Fruity-ester character may be apparent. Chill haze is acceptable at low temperatures.

7. English-Style Mild Ale

A. Subcategory: English-Style Light Mild Ale

English-style light mild ales range from light amber to light brown in color. Malty sweet tones dominate the flavor profile with little hop bitterness or flavor. Hop aroma can be light. Very low diacetyl flavors may be appropriate in this low-alcohol beer. Fruity-ester level is very low. Chill haze is allowable at cold temperatures.

B. Subcategory: English-Style Dark Mild Ale

English-style dark mild ales range from deep copper to dark brown (often with a red tint) in color. Malty sweet, caramel, licorice and roasted malt tones dominate the flavor and aroma profile with very little hop flavor or aroma. Very low diacetyl flavors may be appropriate in this low-alcohol beer. Fruity-ester level is very low.

8. English-Style Brown Ale

English-style brown ales range from deep copper to brown in color. They have a medium body, and a dry to sweet maltiness dominates with very little hop flavor or aroma. Fruity-ester flavors are appropriate. Diacetyl should be very low, if evident. Chill haze is allowable at cold temperatures.

9. Strong Ale

A. Subcategory: English-Style Old Ale/English-Style Strong Ale

Amber to copper to medium in color, English-style strong ales are medium to full bodied with a malty sweetness. Fruity-ester flavor and aroma should contribute to the character of this ale. Bitterness should be evident and balanced with malt and/or caramel sweetness. Alcohol types can be varied and complex. Chill haze is acceptable at low temperatures.

B. Subcategory: Strong Scotch-Style Ale

Scotch-style ales are overwhelmingly malty and full bodied. Perception of hop bitterness is very low. Hop flavor and aroma is very low or nonexistent. Color ranges from deep copper to brown. The clean alcohol flavor balances the rich and dominant sweet maltiness in flavor and aroma. A caramel character is often a part of the profile. Fruity esters are generally at medium aromatic and flavor levels. A peaty/smokey character may be evident at low levels. Low diacetyl levels are acceptable. Chill haze is allowable at cold temperatures.

C. Subcategory: Other Strong Ales

Any style of beer can be made stronger than the classic style guidelines. The goal should be to reach a balance between the style's character and the additional alcohol. See this guide for specifics on the style being made stronger and identify the style when registering your beer (for example: double alt, triple bock or quadruple Pilsener).

10. Barley Wine-Style Ale

Barley wine-style ales range from tawny copper to dark brown in color and have a full body and high residual malty sweetness. Complexity of alcohols and fruity-ester characters are often high and counter-balanced by the perception of low to assertive bitterness and extraordinary alcohol content. Hop aroma and flavor may be minimal to very high. Diacetyl should be very low. A caramel and vinous aroma and flavor are part of the character. Chill haze is allowable at cold temperatures.

11. Robust Porter

Robust porters are black in color and have a roast malt flavor, but no roasted barley flavor. These porters have a sharp bitterness of black malt without a highly burnt/charcoal flavor. Robust porters range from a medium to full body and have a malty sweetness. Hop bitterness is medium to high, with hop aroma and flavor ranging from negligible to medium. Fruity esters should be evident in proportional balance with roast malt and hop bitterness character.

12. Brown Porter

Brown porters are mid to dark brown (may have red tint) in color. No roasted barley or strong burnt malt character should be perceived. Low to medium malt sweetness is acceptable along with medium hop bitterness. This is a light- to medium-bodied beer. Fruity esters are acceptable. Hop flavor and aroma may vary from being negligible to medium in character.

13. Sweet Stout

Sweet stouts, also referred to as cream stouts, have a less roasted bitter flavor and a more full-bodied mouthfeel than dry stouts. The style can be given more body with milk sugar (lactose) before bottling. Malt sweetness, chocolate and caramel flavors should dominate the flavor profile. Hops should balance sweetness with out contributing apparent flavor or aroma.

14. Oatmeal Stout

Oatmeal stouts typically include oatmeal in their grist, resulting in a pleasant, full flavor and smooth profile that is rich without being grainy. Roasted malt character of caramel and chocolate should be evident, smooth and not bitter. Bitterness is moderate - not high. Hop flavor and aroma are optional, but should not overpower the overall balance. This is a medium- to full-bodied beer, with minimal fruity esters.

15. Imperial Stout

Dark copper to very black, imperial stouts typically have alcohol contents exceeding 8 percent. The extremely rich malty flavor and aroma are balanced with assertive hopping and fruity-ester characteristics. Perceived bitterness can be moderate and balanced with malt character to very high in the darker versions. Roasted malt astringency and bitterness can be moderately perceived, but should not overwhelm the overall character. Hop aroma can be subtle to overwhelmingly floral. Diacetyl (butterscotch) levels should be very low.

Beer Style Guidelines © Charlie Papazian 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996

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