Style Categories and Guidelines

More detailed ** Style Guidelines ** (2021 edition)

Note: Many of these 38 Main Categories contain numerous beer styles -- They are not individual sub-categories with their own respective set of Gold, Silver, Bronze awards. Example: "Category 1 - Standard American Beer" could have Awards presented to an American Light Lager(s), an American Lager(S), a Cream Ale(s), and/or an American Wheat Beer(s). "Category 1" will have 3 Medal-placements awarded, not 12.

1 - Standard American Beer

A - American Light Lager
B - American Lager
C - Cream Ale
D - American Wheat Beer

2 - International Lager

A - International Pale Lager
B - International Amber Lager
C - International Dark Lager

3 - Czech Lager

A - Czech Pale Lager
B - Czech Premium Pale Lager
C - Czech Amber Lager
D - Czech Dark Lager

4 - Pale Malty European Lager

A - Munich Helles
B - Festbier
C - Helles Bock

5 - Pale Bitter European Beer

A - German Leichtbier
B - Kölsch
C - German Helles Exportbier
D - German Pils

6 - Amber Malty European Lager

A - Märzen
B - Rauchbier
C - Dunkles Bock

7 - Amber Bitter European Beer

A - Vienna Lager
B - Altbier
C.1 – Kellerbier
C.2 - Kellerbier: Pale Kellerbier
C.3 - Kellerbier: Amber Kellerbier
("Kellerbier" listed in Category 27 of 2021 BJCP guidelines)

8 - Dark European Lager

A - Munich Dunkel
B - Schwarzbier

9 - Strong European Beer

A - Doppelbock
B - Eisbock
C - Baltic Porter

10 - German Wheat Beer

A - Weissbier
B - Dunkles Weissbier
C - Weizenbock

11 - British Bitter

A - Ordinary Bitter
B - Best Bitter
C - Strong Bitter

12 - Pale Commonwealth Beer

A - British Golden Ale
B - Australian Sparkling Ale
C - English IPA

13 - Brown British Beer

A - Dark Mild
B - British Brown Ale
C - English Porter

14 - Scottish Ale

A - Scottish Light
B - Scottish Heavy
C - Scottish Export

15 - Irish Beer

A - Irish Red Ale
B - Irish Stout
C - Irish Extra Stout

16 - Dark British Beer

A - Sweet Stout
B - Oatmeal Stout
C - Tropical Stout
D - Foreign Extra Stout

17 - Strong British Ale

A - British Strong Ale
B - Old Ale
C - Wee Heavy
D - English Barleywine

18 - Pale American Ale

A - Blonde Ale
B - American Pale Ale

19 - Amber and Brown American Beer

A - American Amber Ale
B - California Common
C - American Brown Ale

20 - American Porter and Stout

A - American Porter
B - American Stout
C - Imperial Stout

21 - IPA

A - American IPA

B - Specialty IPA
B.1 - Belgian IPA
B.2 - Black IPA
B.3 - Brown IPA
B.4 - Red IPA
B.5 - Rye IPA
B.6 - White IPA

22 - Strong American Ale

A - Double IPA
B - American Strong Ale
C - American Barleywine
D - Wheatwine

23 - European Sour Ale

A - Berliner Weisse
B - Flanders Red Ale
C - Oud Bruin
D - Lambic
E - Gueuze
F - Fruit Lambic

24 - Belgian Ale

A - Witbier
B - Belgian Pale Ale
C - Bière de Garde

25 - Strong Belgian Ale

A - Belgian Blond Ale
B - Saison
C - Belgian Golden Strong Ale

26 - Trappist Ale / Monastic Ale

A - Trappist Single
B - Belgian Dubbel
C - Belgian Tripel
D - Belgian Dark Strong Ale

27 - Historical Beer

A.1 - Gose (Category 23G in 2021 BJCP guidelines)
A.2 - Kentucky Common
A.3 - Lichtenhainer
A.4 - London Brown Ale
A.5 - Piwo Grodziskie
A.6 - Pre-Prohibition Lager
A.7 - Pre-Prohibition Porter
A.8 - Roggenbier
A.9 - Sahti

28 - American Wild Ale

A - Brett Beer
B - Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer
C - Wild Specialty Beer

29 - Fruit Beer

A - Fruit Beer
B - Fruit and Spice Beer
C - Specialty Fruit Beer

30 - Spiced Beer

A - Spice, Herb, or Vegetable Beer
B - Autumn Seasonal Beer
C - Winter Seasonal Beer

31 - Alternative Fermentables Beer

A - Alternative Grain Beer
B - Alternative Sugar Beer

32 - Smoked Beer

A - Classic Style Smoked Beer
B - Specialty Smoked Beer

33 - Wood Beer

A - Wood-Aged Beer
B - Specialty Wood-Aged Beer

34 - Specialty Beer

A - Clone Beer
B - Mixed-Style Beer
C - Experimental Beer

35 - New England IPA
("21C" in 2021 BJCP guidelines)

A - New England IPA

36 - Catharina Sour
("X4" in 2021 BJCP guidelines)

A - Catharina Sour

37 - No to Low-Alcohol Beer
(0.0%ABV - 0.5%ABV of other beer styles) 

A - No to Low-Alcohol Beer

38 - Low-Alcohol Beer
(0.6%ABV - 2.5%ABV of other beer styles) 

A - Low-Alcohol Beer

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More detailed ** Style Guidelines ** (2021 edition)

 

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