BJCP- Style Comparisons Flashcards
American Light Lager
A lighter-bodied, lower-alcohol, lower calorie version of an American Lager. Less hop character and bitterness than a German Leichtbier.
American Lager
Stronger, more flavor and body than an American Light Lager. Less bitterness and flavor than an International Pale Lager. Significantly less flavor, hops, and
bitterness than traditional European Pilsners.
Cream Ale
Similar to a Standard American Lager, but with more character. Lighter body, smoother, and more carbonated than a Blonde Ale. May seem like a somewhat subtle Kölsch.
American Wheat Beer
More hop character and less yeast character than Weissbier. Never with the banana and clove character of Weissbier. Generally has the same range and balance as Blonde Ales, but with a wheat character as the primary malt flavor.
International Pale Lager
Generally more bitter and filling than American Lager. Less hoppy and bitter than a German Pils. Less body, malt flavor, and hop character than a Czech Premium Pale Lager. More robust versions can approach a Munich Helles in flavor, but with more of an adjunct quality.
International Amber Lager
Less well-developed malt flavor than a Vienna Lager, often with an adjunct taste. Less robust flavor and bitterness than Altbier.
International Dark Lager
Less flavor and richness than Munich Dunkel, Schwarzbier, or other dark lagers. Frequently uses adjuncts, as is typical of other International Lagers.
Czech Pale Lager
A lighter-bodied, lower-intensity, refreshing, everyday version of Czech Premium Pale Lager.
Czech Premium Pale Lager
More color, malt richness, and body than a German Pils, with a fuller finish and a cleaner, softer impression. Stronger than a Czech Pale Lager.
Czech Amber Lager
The style can be similar to a Vienna Lager but with stronger Czech late hop character, or that approaching a British Bitter but significantly richer with more of a deep caramel character. Large brewery versions are generally similar to Czech Premium Pale Lager with slightly darker malt flavors and less hop, while smaller breweries often make versions with considerable hop character, malt complexity, or residual sweetness.
Czech Dark Lager
The beer is the Czech equivalent of a dark lager ranging in character from Munich Dunkel to Schwarzbier, but typically with greater malt richness and hop aroma, flavor, and bitterness.
Munich Helles
Similar in malt balance and bitterness to Munich Dunkel, but less malty-sweet in nature and pale rather than dark and rich. More body and malt presence than a German Pils, but less crisp and with less hop character throughout. Similar malt profile as a German Helles Exportbier, but with fewer hops in the balance and slightly less alcohol. Less body and alcohol than a Festbier.
Festbier
Less intense and less richly toasted than a Märzen. Stronger than a Munich Helles, with a bit more body, and hop and malt flavor. Less rich in malt intensity than a Helles Bock. The malt complexity is similar to a highergravity Czech Premium Pale Lager, although without the associated hops.
Helles Bock
Can be thought of as either a pale version of a Dunkles Bock, or a Munich Helles or Festbier brewed to bock strength. While quite malty, this beer typically has less dark and rich malt flavors, and can be drier, hoppier, and more bitter than a Dunkles Bock. Less strong than a pale Doppelbock, but with similar flavors.
German Leichtbier
Like a lower-alcohol, lighter-bodied, slightly less aggressive German Pils or Munich Helles. More bitter and flavorful than an American Light Lager.
Kölsch
Can be mistaken for a Cream Ale or somewhat subtle German Pils.
German Helles Exportbier
Less finishing hops and more body than a German Pils. More bitter and drier than a Munich Helles. Stronger, drier, but less hoppy than a Czech Premium Pale Lager.
German Pils
Lighter in body and color, drier, crisper, more fully attenuated, more lingering bitterness, and higher carbonation than a Czech Premium Pale Lager. More hop character, malt flavor, and bitterness than International Pale Lager. More hop character and bitterness with a drier, crisper finish than a Munich Helles; the Helles has more malt intensity, but of the same character as the German Pils.
Märzen
Not as strong and rich as a Dunkles Bock. More malt depth and richness than a Festbier, with a heavier body and slightly less hops. Less hoppy but equally malty as a Czech Amber Lager, but with a different malt profile.
Rauchbier
Like a Märzen with but with a balanced, sweet, smoky aroma and flavor and a somewhat darker color.
Dunkles Bock
Darker, with a richer malty flavor and less apparent bitterness than a Helles Bock. Less alcohol and malty richness than a Doppelbock. Stronger malt flavors and higher alcohol than a Märzen. Richer, less attenuated, and less hoppy than a Czech Amber Lager.
Vienna Lager
Similar malt flavor as a Märzen, but lighter in intensity, and body, with a touch more bitterness and dryness in the balance. Lower in alcohol than Märzen or Festbier. Less rich, malty, and hoppy than Czech Amber Lager.
Altbier
More bitter and malty than International Amber Lagers. Somewhat similar to California Common, both in production technique and finished flavor and color, though not in ingredients. Less alcohol, less malty richness, and more bitterness than a Dunkles Bock. Drier, richer, and more bitter than a Vienna Lager.
Munich Dunkel
Not as intense in maltiness or as strong as a Dunkles Bock. Lacking the more roasted flavors and often the hop bitterness of a Schwarzbier. Richer, more malt-centric, and less hoppy than a Czech Dark Lager.
Schwarzbier
In comparison with a Munich Dunkel, usually darker in color, drier on the palate, lighter in body, and with a noticeable (but not high) roasted malt edge to balance the malt base. Should not taste like an American Porter made with lager yeast. Drier, less malty, with less hop character than a Czech Dark Lager.
Doppelbock
A stronger, richer, more full-bodied version of either a Dunkles Bock or a Helles Bock. Pale versions will show higher attenuation and less dark fruity character than the darker versions.
Eisbock
Eisbocks are not simply stronger Doppelbocks; the name refers to the process of freezing and concentrating the beer, and is not a statement on alcohol; some Doppelbocks are stronger than Eisbocks. Not as thick, rich, or sweet as a Wheatwine.
Baltic Porter
Combines the body, maltiness, richness, and smoothness of a Doppelbock, the darker malt character of an English Porter, the roast flavors of a Schwarzbier, and alcohol and fruitiness of and Old Ale. Much less roasted and often lower in alcohol than an Imperial Stout.
Weissbier
Compared to American Wheat, has a banana and clove yeast character and less bitterness. Compared to a Dunkles Weissbier, has a paler color and less malt richness and flavor.
Dunkles Weissbier
Combines the yeast and wheat character of Weissbier with the malty richness of a Munich Dunkel. The banana-and-clove character is often less apparent than in a Weissbier due to the increased maltiness. Has a similar yeast character as Roggenbier, but without the rye flavor and increased body.
Weizenbock
Stronger and richer than a Weissbier or Dunkles Weissbier, but with similar yeast character. More directly comparable to the Doppelbock style, with the pale and dark variations. Can vary widely in strength, but most are in the Bock to Doppelbock range.
Ordinary Bitter
Some modern variants are brewed exclusively with pale malt and are known as golden ales, summer ales, or golden bitters. Emphasis is on the bittering hop addition as opposed to the aggressive middle and late hopping seen in American ales.
Best Bitter
More alcohol than an ordinary bitter, and often using higher-quality ingredients. Less alcohol than a strong bitter. More caramel or base malt character and color than a British Golden Ale. Emphasis is on the bittering hop addition as opposed to the aggressive middle and late hopping seen in American ales.
Strong Bitter
More evident malt and hop flavors than in a special or best bitter, as well as more alcohol. Stronger versions may overlap somewhat with British Strong Ales, although Strong Bitters will tend to be paler and more bitter. More malt flavor (particularly caramel) and esters than an American Pale Ale, with different finishing hop character.
British Golden Ale
More similar to an American Pale Ale than anything else, although it is often lower in alcohol and usually features British ingredients. Has no caramel and fewer esters compared to British Bitters and pale ales. Dry as Bitters but with less malt character to support the hops, giving a different balance. Often uses (and features) American hops, more so than most other modern British styles. Balance of hoppiness between a Blonde Ale and an American Pale Ale.
Australian Sparkling Ale
Superficially similar to English Pale Ales, although much more highly carbonated, with less caramel, less late hops, and showcasing the signature yeast strain and hop variety. More bitter than IBUs might suggest due to high attenuation, low final gravity, and somewhat coarse hops.
English IPA
Generally will have more late hops and less fruitiness and caramel than British pale ales and Bitters. Has less hop intensity and a more pronounced malt flavor than typical American IPAs.
Dark Mild
Some versions may seem like lowergravity modern English Porters. Much less sweet than London Brown Ale.
British Brown Ale
More malty balance than British Bitters, with more malt flavors from darker grains. Stronger than a Dark Mild. Less roast than an English Porter. Stronger and much less sweet than London Brown Ale.
English Porter
Differs from American Porter in that it usually has softer, sweeter, and more caramelly flavors, lower gravities, and usually less alcohol; American Porter also usually has more hop character. More substance and roast than a British Brown Ale. Higher in gravity than a Dark Mild.
Scottish Light
See category introduction. Similar to other Scottish Ales but lower in alcohol, and darker in color. Similar in strength to the low end of Dark Mild, but with a different flavor profile and balance.
Scottish Heavy
See category introduction. Similar to other Scottish Ales in flavor profile, lighter in color and stronger than a Scottish Light. Similar in strength to Ordinary Bitter, but with a different flavor profile and balance.
Scottish Export
See category introduction. Stronger than other Scottish Ales, but with a similar flavor profile. Similar in strength to Best Bitter and Strong Bitter, but with a different flavor profile and balance.
Irish Red Ale
A less-bitter and hoppy Irish equivalent to an English Bitter, with a dryish finish due to roasted barley. More attenuated with less caramel flavor and body than equivalent-strength Scottish Ales.
Irish Stout
Lower strength than an Irish Extra Stout. Darker in color (black) than an English Porter (brown).
Irish Extra Stoutv
Midway between an Irish Stout and a Foreign Extra Stout in strength and flavor intensity, although with a similar balance. More body, richness, and often malt complexity than an Irish Stout. Black in color, not brown like an English Porter.
Sweet Stout
Much sweeter and less bitter-tasting than other stouts, except the stronger Tropical Stout. The roast character is mild, not burnt like other stouts. Can be similar in balance to Oatmeal Stout, albeit with more sweetness.
Oatmeal Stout
Most are like a cross between an Irish Extra Stout and a Sweet Stout with oatmeal added. Several variations exist, with the sweeter versions more like a Sweet Stout with oatmeal instead of lactose, and the drier versions more like a more nutty, flavorful Irish Extra Stout. Both tend to emphasize the body and mouthfeel.
Tropical Stout
Tastes like a scaled-up Sweet Stout with higher fruitiness. Similar to some Imperial Stouts without the high bitterness, strong or burnt roastiness, and late hops, and with lower alcohol. Much sweeter and less hoppy than American Stouts. Much sweeter and less bitter than the similar-gravity Foreign Extra Stouts.
Foreign Extra Stout
Similar in balance to an Irish Extra Stout, but with more alcohol. Not as big or intense as an Imperial Stout. Lacking the strong bitterness and high late hops of American Stout. Similar gravity as Tropical Stout, but with a drier finish and higher bitterness.
British Strong Ale
Significant overlap in gravity with Old Ale, but not having an aged character. A wide range of interpretations is possible. Should not be as rich or strong as an English Barley Wine. Stronger than the stronger everyday Strong Bitter, British Brown Ale, and English Porter. More specialty malt or sugar character than American Strong Ale.
Old Ale
Roughly overlapping the British Strong Ale and the lower end of the English Barley Wine styles, but always having an aged quality. The distinction between an Old Ale and a Barley Wine is somewhat arbitrary above 7% ABV, and generally means having a more significant aged quality.
Wee Heavy
Somewhat similar to an English Barley Wine, but often darker and more caramelly.
English Barley Wine
Less hoppy and bitter, maltier and fruitier than American Barleywine. Can overlap Old Ale on the lower end of the range, but without heavier signs of age. Not as caramelly and often not as sweet as a Wee Heavy.
Blonde Ale
Typically has more flavor than American Lager and Cream Ale. Less bitterness than an American Pale Ale. Perhaps similar to some maltier examples of Kölsch.
American Pale Ale
Typically lighter in color, cleaner in fermentation profile, and having fewer caramel flavors than English counterparts. There can be some overlap in color between American Pale Ale and American Amber Ale. The American Pale Ale will generally be cleaner, have a less caramelly malt profile, less body, and often more finishing hops. Less bitterness in the balance and alcohol strength than an American IPA. Maltier, more balanced and drinkable, and less intensely hop-focused and bitter than session-strength American IPAs (aka Session IPAs). More bitter and hoppy than a Blonde Ale.
American Amber Ale
Darker, more caramelly, more body, and generally less bitter in the balance than American Pale Ales. Less alcohol, bitterness, and hop character than Red IPAs. Less strength, malt, and hop character than American Strong Ales. Less chocolate and dark caramel than an American Brown Ale.
California Common
Superficially similar to an American Amber Ale, but with specific choices for malt and hopping – the hop flavor and aroma is traditional (not modern) American hops, malt flavors are toastier, the hopping is always assertive, and a warm-fermented lager yeast is used. Less attenuated, less carbonated and less fruity than Australian Sparkling ale.
American Brown Ale
More chocolate and caramel flavors than American Pale or Amber Ales, typically with less prominent bitterness in the balance. Less bitterness, alcohol, and hop character than Brown IPAs. More bitter and generally hoppier than English Brown Ales, with a richer malt presence, usually higher alcohol, and American or New World hop character.
American Porter
More bitter and often stronger with more dark malt qualities and dryness than English Porters or Pre-Prohibition Porters. Less strong and assertive than American Stouts.
American Stout
Like a hoppy, bitter, strongly roasted Irish Extra Stout. Much more roast and body than a Black IPA. Bigger, stronger versions belong in the Imperial Stout style. Stronger and more assertive, particularly in the dark malt or grain additions and hop character, than American Porter.
Imperial Stout
Darker and more roasty than Barleywines, but with similar alcohol. More complex, with a broader range of possible flavors, than lower-gravity stouts.
American IPA
Stronger and more highly hopped than American Pale Ale. Compared to English IPA, has less caramel, bread, and toast; often more American or New World hops; fewer yeast-derived esters; less body and often a more hoppy balance; and is slightly stronger than most examples. Less alcohol than a Double IPA, but with a similar balance.
Belgian IPA
A cross between an American IPA or Double IPA with a Belgian Golden Strong Ale or Belgian Tripel. This style is may be spicier, stronger, drier, and fruitier than an American IPA.
Black IPA
Balance and overall impression of an American or Double IPA with restrained roast similar to the type found in Schwarzbier. Not as rich and roasty as American Stout and Porter, and with less body and increased smoothness and drinkability.
Brown IPA
A stronger and more bitter version of an American Brown Ale, with the dry balance of an American IPA. Has less of a roasted flavor than Black IPA, but more chocolate flavors than a Red IPA.
Red IPA
A stronger, hoppier, more bitter version of American Amber Ale. Not as malty and sweet as an American Strong Ale. Drier, less alcohol, and not as malty as American Barleywine. Less chocolate and caramel than Brown IPA, but otherwise similar balance.
Rye IPA
Drier, slightly spicier, and slightly creamier than an American IPA, with more of a lingering bitterness and spiciness in the finish. Does not have the intense rye malt or Weizen yeast character of a Roggenbier.
White IPA
Bitter, hoppy, and stronger like an American IPA but fruity, spicy, and light like a Witbier. Typically late hops are not as prominent as in American IPA.
Hazy IPA
Has a fuller, softer mouthfeel, a more fruit-forward late hop expression, a more restrained perceived bitterness balance, and a hazier appearance than American IPA.
Double IPA
Bigger than English and American IPAs in alcohol strength, bitterness, and hoppiness. Less malty-rich, less body, drier, and with a greater overall hop balance than American Barleywine.
American Strong Ale
Generally not as strong and as rich as an American Barleywine. More malt balanced than an American or Double IPA. More American hop intensity than a British Strong Ale. Maltier and fuller-bodied than a Red IPA.
American Barleywine
Greater emphasis on hop bitterness, flavor, and aroma than English Barley Wine, often featuring American hop varieties. Typically paler than the darker English Barley Wines and lacking their deeper malt flavors, but darker than the golden English Barley Wines. Differs from a Double IPA in that the hops are not extreme, the malt is more forward, and the body is fuller and often richer. American Barleywine typically has more residual sweetness than Double IPA, which affects the overall drinkability (sipping vs. drinking).
Wheatwine
More than simply a wheat-based barleywine, many versions have very expressive fruity and hoppy notes, while others develop complexity through oak aging. Less emphasis on the hops than American Barleywine. Has roots in American Wheat Beer rather than any German wheat style, so should not have any Weizen yeast character.
Berliner Weisse
Compared to Lambic, has a clean lactic sourness with restrained to below sensory threshold Brett. Also lower in alcohol content. Compared to Straight Sour Beer and Catharina Sour, is lower gravity and may contain Brett.
Flanders Red Ale
Less malty-rich than an Oud Bruin, often with more of a fruity-tart and acetic profile.
Oud Bruin
A deeper malt character with more caramel, toffee, and chocolate flavors and darker color distinguishes these beers from Flanders Red Ale. The Oud Bruin is less acetic and maltier than a Flanders Red, and the fruity flavors are more malt-oriented. In modern times, Oud Bruin also tends to be higher in alcohol than is typically seen in Flanders Red Ales. Differs from Lambic in that they are not spontaneously fermented, and don’t contain wheat.
Lambic
Often has a simpler sourness and less complexity than a Gueuze, but more variability from batch to batch. Traditionally served uncarbonated from pitchers, while Gueuze is bottled and very highly carbonated.
Gueuze
More complex and carbonated than a Lambic. The sourness isn’t necessarily stronger, but it tends to have more of a well-developed wild character.
Fruit Lambic
A Gueuze with fruit, not just a sour Fruit Beer; the wild character must be evident.
Gose
Perceived acidity is not as intense as Berliner Weisse or Gueuze. Restrained use of salt, coriander, and Lacto – should not taste overtly salty. Coriander aroma can be similar to a Witbier. Haziness similar to a Weissbier.
Witbier
Low bitterness level with a balance similar to a Weissbier, but with spice and citrus character coming from additions more so than the yeast.
Belgian Pale Ale
Fairly similar to pale ales from England (11C Strong Bitter), typically with a slightly different yeast character and a more varied malt profile. Less yeast character than many other Belgian beers, though.
Bière de Garde
Calling this a farmhouse beer invites comparisons to Saison, which has a completely different balance – Bière de Garde is malty and smooth, while Saison is hoppy and bitter. Actually has more of a similarity in malt profile to a Bock.
Belgian Blond Ale
Similar strength and balance as a Belgian Dubbel but gold in color and without the darker malt flavors. Similar character as a Belgian Strong Golden Ale or Belgian Tripel, although a bit maltier, not as bitter, and lower in alcohol.
Saison
The pale, standard strength versions is like a more highly-attenuated, hoppy, and bitter Belgian Blond Ale with a stronger yeast character. At super strength and pale color, similar to a Belgian Tripel, but often with more of a grainy, rustic quality and sometimes with a spicier yeast character.
Belgian Golden Strong Ale
Often confused with Belgian Tripel, but is usually paler, lighter-bodied, crisper, and drier. Tends to use yeast that favor ester development (particularly pome fruit) over spiciness in the balance, and has more of a late hop character.
Belgian Single
Like a top-fermented Belgian interpretation of a German Pils – pale, hoppy, and wellattenuated, but with a strong Belgian yeast character. Has less sweetness, higher attenuation, less character malt, and is more hop-centered than a Belgian Pale Ale. More like a much smaller, more highly-hopped Belgian Tripel (with its bitterness and dryness) than a smaller Belgian Blond Ale.
Belgian Dubbel
Perhaps similar to a Dunkles Bock but with a Belgian yeast and sugar character. Similar in strength and balance to a Belgian Blond Ale, but with a richer malt and ester profile. Less strong and intense than a Belgian Dark Strong Ale.
Belgian Tripel
May resemble a Belgian Golden Strong Ale but slightly darker and a bit fuller-bodied, with more emphasis on phenols and less on esters, and fewer late hops. Should not seem like a blond Barleywine.
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
Like a larger Belgian Dubbel, with a
fuller body and increased malt richness. Not as bitter or hoppy
as a Belgian Tripel, but of similar strength.
