Rye Beer

In darker versions, malt flavor can optionally include low roasted malt characters (evident as cocoa/chocolate or caramel) and/or aromatic toffee-like, caramel, or biscuit-like characters. Low-level roasted malt astringency is acceptable when balanced with low to medium malt sweetness. Hop flavor is low to medium-high. Hop bitterness is low to medium. These beers can be made…

English-Style Brown Porter

Brown porters have no roasted barley or strong burnt/black malt character. Low to medium malt sweetness, caramel and chocolate is acceptable. Hop bitterness is medium. Softer, sweeter and more caramel-like than a robust porter, with less alcohol and body. Porters are the precursor style to stouts.

Session Beer

This beer style is not defined by flavors or aromas, which can place it in almost any style category. Instead, what makes a session beer is primarily refreshment and drinkability.Any style of beer can be made lower in strength than described in the classic style guidelines. The goal should be to reach a balance between…

Contemporary Gose

Straw to medium amber, gose is cloudy from suspended yeast. A wide variety of herbal, spice, floral or fruity aromas other than found in traditional Leipzig-Style Gose are present, in harmony with other aromas. Salt (table salt) character is traditional in low amounts, but may vary from absent to present. Body is low to medium-low.…

Scottish-Style Ale

Scottish-style ales vary depending on strength and flavor, but in general retain a malt-forward character with some degree of caramel-like malt flavors and a soft and chewy mouthfeel. Some examples feature a light smoked peat flavor. Hops do not play a huge role in this style. The numbers commonly associated with brands of this style…

Robust Porter

Often features more bitter and roasted malt flavor than a brown porter, but not quite as much as a stout. Robust porters have a roast malt flavor, often reminiscent of cocoa, but no roast barley flavor. Their caramel and malty sweetness is in harmony with the sharp bitterness of black malt. Hop bitterness is evident.…

Scotch Ale/Wee Heavy

Scotch ales are overwhelmingly malty, with a rich and dominant sweet malt flavor and aroma. A caramel character is often part of the profile. Some examples feature a light smoked peat flavor. This style could be considered the Scottish version of an English-style barley wine. Overly smoked versions would be considered specialty examples.

Vienna-Style Lager

Ranges from copper to reddish brown in color. The beer is characterized by malty aroma and slight malt sweetness. The malt aroma and flavor should have a notable degree of toasted and/or slightly roasted malt character. Hop bitterness is low to medium-low.

Smoke Beer

When malt is kilned over an open flame, the smoke flavor becomes infused into the beer, leaving a taste that can vary from dense campfire, to slight wisps of smoke. This style is open to interpretation by individual brewers. Any style of beer can be smoked; the goal is to reach a balance between the…

Specialty Beer

Special ingredients used in this style should be distinctive and evident in either the aroma, flavor or overall balance of the beer. This style category is a catch-all. Any specialty beer that does not fit other specialty beer styles would be appropriately considered here. Examples can include sahti, roggenbier, steinbier, white IPA, session IPA and…