BJCP 2021 Beer Style Guidelines Study Cards

Comprehensive practice flashcards covering the 2021 Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) Style Guidelines, including judging terminology, brewing ingredients, off-flavors, vital statistics, and beer style profiles.

Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP)

A non-profit organization that promotes beer literacy, provides standardized style guidelines, and trains and certifies judges for beer competitions.

Subcategory (in BJCP Guidelines)

The individual style description within the guidelines that identifies the specific sensory characteristics of one type of beer, mead, or cider.

Category (in BJCP Guidelines)

An arbitrary grouping of beer styles with similar sensory characteristics, designed primarily to facilitate competition management and flighting rather than implying common ancestry.

Classic Style

A named style or subcategory in the BJCP Style Guidelines appearing prior to the Specialty-Type Beer styles section (Categories 1 through 27).

Clean Fermentation Profile

The quality of finished beer exhibiting very low to no yeast-derived fermentation byproducts, such as esters, diacetyl, acetaldehyde, or phenols.

American Hops

Hops from the modern craft beer era typically displaying citrusy, resiny, piney, evergreen, stone fruit, berry, tropical fruit, or melon characteristics.

Continental Hops (Old World Hops)

Traditional European brewing varieties, including German and Czech landrace varieties and British hops, commonly described as floral, spicy, herbal, or earthy.

Dry-Hopped

A post-boil addition of uncooked hops that delivers fresh, bright aroma and shifts beer balance toward hops without contributing additional bitterness.

Juicy (Hop Descriptor)

A modern brewing descriptor denoting hops that impart intense aromatic and flavor qualities reminiscent of fresh fruit juices, especially tropical fruits.

New World Hops

Hops from North America, Australia, New Zealand, and other non-Old World regions that provide stone fruit, tropical fruit, white grape, and citrus aromatics.

Traditional German or Czech Hops

Noble or landrace hop varieties long prized for their refined, subtle, lightly floral, spicy, or herbal profiles in continental European lagers.

Biscuity

A dry, toasted grain, flour, or dough flavor reminiscent of English digestive biscuits, commonly associated with Biscuit malt and traditional English malts.

Maillard Products

A class of flavorful compounds created by heat reactions between sugars and amino acids, yielding bready, toasty, rich, or red-brown color and flavor notes.

Munich Malt

A kilned malt that provides a bready, deeply malty quality without residual sweetness, often contributing bread-crust notes in darker varieties.

Pilsner Malt (Pils Malt)

A pale continental malt with a slightly sweet, lightly grainy, soft, honey-like character, naturally high in precursor compounds for dimethyl sulfide (DMS).

Vienna Malt

A malt contributing a bready-toasty character reminiscent of the crust of freshly baked bread rather than dark or heavily toasted bread.

Bubblegum (Fermentation Profile)

A sweet mixed-fruit ester profile dominated by banana and strawberry with fruit punch notes, characteristic of original Bazooka chewing gum.

Kveik

A traditional mixed blend of farmhouse ale yeast cultures from Norway, often available modernly as isolated single strains; not a beer style.

Pome Fruit

A sensory descriptor category for fleshy botanical fruits including apple, pear, and quince.

Stone Fruit

A sensory descriptor category for fleshy fruits with a single pit or stone, including cherry, plum, peach, apricot, and mango.

Acetic Character

A sharp, vinegar-like aroma and taste resulting from acetic acid, distinguished from clean lactic sourness.

Brett (Brettanomyces)

An attenuative yeast genus (meaning "British fungus") producing fruity esters when young and complex funk (leather, sweat, barnyard, horse blanket) with age.

Clean Sourness

A descriptor indicating sharp, pure lactic acid sourness lacking vinegar, complex funk, or excessive rustic overtones.

Ethyl Acetate

An ester formed from acetic acid and ethanol; pleasant and fruity like pears or pineapple at low levels, but an off-flavor smelling of solvent or nail polish remover at high levels.

Indole

An offensive off-flavor smelling of feces, dirty barns, or pig farms produced by coliform bacteria contamination during long fermentation lag times.

LAB (Lactic Acid Bacteria)

A broad family of bacteria (Lactobacillaceae), including Lactobacillus and Pediococcus, responsible for lactic acid production in sour beers.

Lactobacillus (Lacto)

A genus of lactic acid bacteria that rapidly ferments carbohydrates into clean lactic sourness.

Pediococcus (Pedio)

A genus of lactic acid bacteria that produces lactic acid and is commonly responsible for ropiness during mixed-culture fermentation.

Ropiness

An increase in beer viscosity that pours thick and syrupy, caused by bacterial polysaccharide production and reduced over time by active Brettanomyces.

Tetrahydropyridine (THP)

A compound produced by Lacto or Brett lending toasted cereal notes at low levels, but perceived as mouse cage or urine at high levels; always a fault.

Adjunct Quality

A sensory impression reflecting high proportions of non-malt grains (like corn or rice), often presenting as corny flavor, lighter body, or thinner palate.

Balanced (Sensory Evaluation)

A harmonious and agreeable coordination of malt, hops, and fermentation constituents appropriate for the style, rather than an equal intensity of each element.

Crisp (Mouthfeel)

A rapid, abrupt transition in mouthfeel from smoothness to sharpness, leading directly into a dry finish.

Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS)

A sulfur compound reminiscent of cooked corn; acceptable at low levels in beers brewed with heavy amounts of Pilsner malt, but inappropriate when resembling other cooked vegetables.

Dry (Sensory Evaluation)

The palate perception of lacking residual sweetness, characteristic of a well-attenuated beer.

Elegant (Sensory Evaluation)

A smooth, tasteful, refined sensory impression indicative of high-quality brewing ingredients handled with care, lacking rough edges or palate-attacking sensations.

Harsh (Sensory Evaluation)

An unpleasant, coarse, abrasive texture, bitterness, or aftertaste that detracts from drinkability.

Funky (Sensory Evaluation)

A complex sensory descriptor denoting barnyard, wet hay, horse blanket, or earthiness when desirable, or silage and fecal notes when excessive.

Rustic (Sensory Evaluation)

A coarse, hearty, robust sensory character reminiscent of older, traditional brewing practices and less refined ingredients.

Legs (Appearance)

Droplets and streams falling slowly down the inside of a glass after swirling, indicating higher alcohol, sugar, or glycerol content.

Belgian Lace (Lacing)

A persistent latticework pattern of foam left clinging to the inside of the glass as a beer is consumed, regarded as an indicator of quality.

Standard Reference Method (SRM)

A numerical scale established by the ASBC to measure beer color density, ranging from $2\text{--}3$ (straw) to $40+$ (black, opaque).

European Brewing Convention (EBC)

A European color measurement scale whose numerical values are roughly double the equivalent SRM values.

American Light Lager (Style 1A)

A highly carbonated, very light-bodied, nearly flavorless lager designed to be served very cold, with $2.8\text{--}4.2\%$ ABV and $8\text{--}12\text{ IBUs}$.

American Lager (Style 1B)

A pale, highly carbonated, light-bodied, well-attenuated mass-market lager ($4.2\text{--}5.3\%$ ABV, $8\text{--}18\text{ IBUs}$) with up to $40\%$ corn or rice adjuncts.

Cream Ale (Style 1C)

A clean, well-attenuated American "lawnmower" ale or lager hybrid ($4.2\text{--}5.6\%$ ABV) developed in the late 1800s using up to $20\%$ maize and up to $20\%$ sugar.

American Wheat Beer (Style 1D)

A pale, refreshing craft wheat beer ($4.0\text{--}5.5\%$ ABV) brewed with clean yeast and $30\text{--}50\%$ wheat malt, lacking the banana and clove phenols of German Weissbier.

International Pale Lager (Style 2A)

A mass-market, highly attenuated pale lager ($4.5\text{--}6.0\%$ ABV, $18\text{--}25\text{ IBUs}$) with fewer adjuncts and firmer bitterness than American Lager.

International Amber Lager (Style 2B)

A smooth, malty amber lager ($4.5\text{--}6.0\%$ ABV) with caramel or toast character, restrained bitterness, and often an adjunct quality.

International Dark Lager (Style 2C)

A darker, richer, slightly sweet mass-market lager ($4.2\text{--}6.0\%$ ABV, $8\text{--}20\text{ IBUs}$) with restrained bitterness and subtle roast or caramel accents.

Světlé

The Czech brewing term specifying pale beer.

Polotmavé

The Czech brewing term specifying amber or "half-dark" beer.

Tmavé

The Czech brewing term specifying dark beer.

Výčepní

A Czech beer gravity classification indicating draft beers of $7\text{--}10\,^\circ\text{P}$.

Ležák

A Czech beer gravity classification indicating lager beers of $11\text{--}12\,^\circ\text{P}$.

Speciální

A Czech beer gravity classification indicating special beers of $13\,^\circ\text{P}$ and higher.

Czech Pale Lager (Style 3A)

A lighter-bodied, rich, hoppy, and bitter pale Czech lager ($3.0\text{--}4.1\%$ ABV, $20\text{--}35\text{ IBUs}$) known in the Czech Republic as světlé výčepní pivo.

Czech Premium Pale Lager (Style 3B)

A complex, rich, bready, and hoppy pale Czech lager ($4.2\text{--}5.8\%$ ABV, $30\text{--}45\text{ IBUs}$) traditionally brewed via decoction mashing with Saaz hops and soft water, first created in 1842 by Josef Groll.

Kvasnicové

Czech "yeast beer" that is either kräusened with actively fermenting wort or dosed with fresh yeast post-fermentation, imparting slight haze and enhanced hop character.

Czech Amber Lager (Style 3C)

A malty Czech amber lager ($4.4\text{--}5.8\%$ ABV, $20\text{--}35\text{ IBUs}$) known as polotmavé pivo, balancing bready Maillard and caramel flavors with spicy Czech hops.

Czech Dark Lager (Style 3D)

A rich, dark, malty Czech lager ($4.4\text{--}5.8\%$ ABV, $18\text{--}34\text{ IBUs}$) known as tmavé pivo, featuring debittered dark malts, caramel, and spicy hops, exemplified by U Fleků.

Munich Helles (Style 4A)

A clean, gold-colored German malt-accented lager ($4.7\text{--}5.4\%$ ABV, $16\text{--}22\text{ IBUs}$) created in 1894 by Spaten, balancing bready Pilsner malt with restrained hop bitterness and a soft finish.

Festbier (Style 4B)

A smooth, golden German lager ($5.8\text{--}6.3\%$ ABV, $18\text{--}25\text{ IBUs}$) showcasing doughy Pils malt flavors; the modern style served at Munich Oktoberfest since 1990.

Wiesn

The Bavarian colloquial name ("the meadow") for the Munich Oktoberfest grounds, used as an alternate name for the Festbier served there.

Helles Bock (Style 4C)

A pale, strong, malty German lager ($6.3\text{--}7.4\%$ ABV, $23\text{--}35\text{ IBUs}$), also known as Maibock, featuring more noticeable hop character and attenuation than dark bocks.

German Leichtbier (Style 5A)

A light-bodied, highly attenuated German session lager ($2.4\text{--}3.6\%$ ABV, $15\text{--}28\text{ IBUs}$) in the schankbier gravity class, targeted at lower calories and carbohydrates.

Kölsch (Style 5B)

A subtle, brilliantly clear, top-fermented and cold-conditioned pale beer ($4.4\text{--}5.2\%$ ABV) native to Cologne (Köln), fermented around $15\,^\circ\text{C}$ and lagered near freezing.

Stange

The traditional tall, narrow $20\text{ cL}$ cylindrical glass used to serve Kölsch in Cologne.

Kölsch Konvention (1986)

An accord that legally protected Kölsch as an appellation, defining it as a light, highly attenuated, hop-accentuated, clear, top-fermenting Vollbier brewed in and around Köln.

German Helles Exportbier (Style 5C)

A golden, minerally German lager ($5.0\text{--}6.0\%$ ABV, $20\text{--}30\text{ IBUs}$) developed in Dortmund in the 1870s, balancing firm bready malt with noticeable bitterness.

German Pils (Style 5D)

A pale, dry, bitter German lager ($4.4\text{--}5.2\%$ ABV, $22\text{--}40\text{ IBUs}$) adapted from Czech Pilsner in the 1870s, emphasizing prominent noble hop bitterness and a crisp, lingering finish.

Märzen (Style 6A)

An amber, malty German lager ($5.6\text{--}6.3\%$ ABV, $18\text{--}24\text{ IBUs}$) with clean, toasty-bready Munich malt flavor and restrained bitterness, traditionally brewed in March and lagered over summer.

Rauchbier (Style 6B)

A beechwood-smoked, malty amber German lager ($4.8\text{--}6.0\%$ ABV) native to Bamberg in Franconia, utilizing smoked malt over a Märzen-like grain bill.

Rauchmalz

German malt dried over open beechwood fires, providing the characteristic clean, woody smoke profile found in Bamberg Rauchbier.

Dunkles Bock (Style 6C)

A strong, dark, malty German lager ($6.3\text{--}7.2\%$ ABV, $20\text{--}27\text{ IBUs}$) originating in Einbeck, showcasing rich Maillard products, toasty Munich malts, and no hop flavor.

Vienna Lager (Style 7A)

A moderate-strength amber lager ($4.7\text{--}5.5\%$ ABV, $18\text{--}30\text{ IBUs}$) developed by Anton Dreher in 1841, featuring bready-toasty Vienna malt and a dry, elegant finish.

Altbier (Style 7B)

A top-fermented, cold-conditioned bitter amber beer ($4.3\text{--}5.5\%$ ABV, $25\text{--}50\text{ IBUs}$) native to Düsseldorf, traditionally hopped assertively with Spalt hops and served from wooden casks.

Munich Dunkel (Style 8A)

A traditional Bavarian dark brown lager ($4.5\text{--}5.6\%$ ABV) developed at Spaten in the 1830s, featuring deeply toasted, bready Munich malt flavors without acrid roast or burnt character.

Schwarzbier (Style 8B)

A dark German lager ($4.4\text{--}5.4\%$ ABV, $20\text{--}35\text{ IBUs}$) from Thuringia and Saxony, balancing smooth, bitter-chocolate roasted malt with clean lager yeast and a dry finish.

Doppelbock (Style 9A)

A strong, richly malty German lager ($7.0\text{--}10.0\%$ ABV) first brewed as "liquid bread" by the monks of St. Francis of Paula in Munich for Lenten fasting.

Salvator

The proprietary commercial Doppelbock brewed by Paulaner, which prompted subsequent breweries to adopt names ending in "-ator".

Eisbock (Style 9B)

A strong, concentrated dark German lager ($9.0\text{--}14.0\%$ ABV) produced by freezing a doppelbock-like beer and removing the ice to concentrate alcohol and rich malt flavors.

Baltic Porter (Style 9C)

A strong, dark, malty beer ($6.5\text{--}9.5\%$ ABV, $20\text{--}40\text{ IBUs}$) native to the Baltic region, fermented with lager yeast and showcasing dried dark fruit esters and smooth, debittered roast malt.

Weissbier (Style 10A)

A pale, refreshing German wheat beer ($4.3\text{--}5.6\%$ ABV) brewed with at least $50\%$ malted wheat, featuring a distinctive banana (isoamyl acetate) and clove (4-vinyl guaiacol) fermentation profile.

Dunkles Weissbier (Style 10B)

A moderately dark German wheat beer ($4.3\text{--}5.6\%$ ABV) combining banana and clove weizen yeast character with rich toasty-bread and caramel malt flavors.

Weizenbock (Style 10C)

A strong German wheat ale ($6.5\text{--}9.0\%$ ABV) combining the banana and clove flavors of a Weissbier with the rich maltiness, body, and strength of a Bock or Doppelbock.

Aventinus

The prototypical Doppelbock-strength dark Weizenbock created in 1907 at the Schneider Weisse Brauhaus in Munich.

Ordinary Bitter (Style 11A)

A low-gravity, easy-drinking British session ale ($3.2\text{--}3.8\%$ ABV, $25\text{--}35\text{ IBUs}$) with low carbonation, light body, and a bitter-forward balance.

Best Bitter (Style 11B)

A flavorful British session ale ($3.8\text{--}4.6\%$ ABV, $25\text{--}40\text{ IBUs}$) with more evident bready or caramelly malt flavor than Ordinary Bitter, traditionally the brewer's finest product.

Strong Bitter (Style 11C)

An average to moderately strong British bitter ale ($4.6\text{--}6.2\%$ ABV, $30\text{--}50\text{ IBUs}$) balancing prominent bready, nutty, or caramelly malt with assertive hop bitterness.

Extra Special Bitter (ESB)

A trademarked beer name owned by Fuller's in England, often co-opted in the United States as a generic style descriptor for malty, bitter, reddish British-style craft ales.

British Golden Ale (Style 12A)

A hop-forward, refreshing pale British bitter ($3.8\text{--}5.0\%$ ABV, $20\text{--}45\text{ IBUs}$) developed in the 1980s (typified by Hop Back Summer Lightning) to compete with mass-market lagers.

Australian Sparkling Ale (Style 12B)

A pale, highly carbonated, bitter Australian ale ($4.5\text{--}6.0\%$ ABV, $20\text{--}35\text{ IBUs}$) brewed with Pride of Ringwood hops and highly attenuative yeast, best known from Coopers.

Pride of Ringwood

An Australian hop variety widely used since the mid-1960s, known for imparting distinctively earthy, herbal, resinous, peppery, or iron-like notes.

English IPA (Style 12C)

A bitter, moderately strong, well-attenuated pale British ale ($5.0\text{--}7.5\%$ ABV, $40\text{--}60\text{ IBUs}$) historically shipped to India, brewed with English hops and often high-sulfate Burton water.

Dark Mild (Style 13A)

A dark, low-gravity British session ale ($3.0\text{--}3.8\%$ ABV, $10\text{--}25\text{ IBUs}$) focused on sweet malt, caramel, toffee, nutty, or light chocolate flavors with restrained bitterness.

British Brown Ale (Style 13B)

A malty, caramelly brown British ale ($4.2\text{--}5.9\%$ ABV, $20\text{--}30\text{ IBUs}$) with nutty, toffee, and light chocolate notes, lacking the roasted character of a porter.

English Porter (Style 13C)

A moderate-strength dark brown English ale ($4.0\text{--}5.4\%$ ABV, $18\text{--}35\text{ IBUs}$) originating in 18th-century London, featuring bready malt, chocolate roast, and caramel complexity.

Black Malt (Patent Malt)

A darkly roasted malt invented in 1817 that transformed British porter and stout production by allowing brewers to color beers without relying on brown malt.

New Zealand Pilsner (Style X5)

A pale, dry, golden beer ($4.5\text{--}5.8\%$ ABV, $25\text{--}45\text{ IBUs}$) showcasing tropical, citrusy, gooseberry, and grassy New Zealand hops (such as Nelson Sauvin and Motueka) over a clean malt base.