Beer Categories

I am getting my beer categories from the BJCP website – specifically the 2008 guidelines. I have found many people are searching for this information so I am posting it permanently as a separate page of the blog.

I have included a number after the categories in square brackets. That is the number of beers in that category I have posted a review of. Click the number to see the reviews.

Beer Style Guidelines

1. Light Lager

1A. Lite American lager
1B. Standard American Lager
1C. Premium American Lager [2]
1D. Munich Helles
1E . Dortmunder Export

2. Pilsner

2A. German Pilsner (Pils) [1]
2B. Bohemian Pilsener
2C. Classic American Pilsner

3. European Amber Lager

3A. Vienna Lager [1]
3B. Oktoberfest

4. Dark Lager

4A. Dark American Lager [1]
4B. Munich Dunkel
4C. Schwarzbier (Black Beer) [1]

5. Bock

5A. Maibock/Helles Bock
5B. Traditional Bock
5C. Doppelbock
5D. Eisbock

6. Light Hybrid Beer

6A. Cream Ale
6B. Blonde Ale
6C. Kölsch
6D. American Wheat or Rye Beer

7. Amber Hybrid Beer

7A. Northern German Altbier
7B. California Common Beer [1]
7C. Düsseldorf Altbier

8. English Pale Ale

8A. Standard/Ordinary Bitter
8B. Special/Best/Premium Bitter
8C. Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)

9. Scottish and Irish Ale

9A. Scottish Light 60
9B. Scottish Heavy 70
9C. Scottish Export 80
9D. Irish Red Ale [1]
9E. Strong Scotch Ale [1]

10. American Ale

10A. American Pale Ale
10B. American Amber Ale [1]
10C. American Brown Ale [1]

11. English Brown Ale

11A. Mild
11B. Southern English Brown
11C. Northern English Brown

12. Porter

12A. Brown Porter
12B. Robust Porter [2]
12C. Baltic Porter

13. Stout

13A. Dry Stout
13B. Sweet Stout
13C. Oatmeal Stout [1]
13D. Foreign Extra Stout
13E. American Stout [2]
13F. Russian Imperial Stout [2]

14. India Pale Ale (IPA)

14A. English IPA
14B. American IPA [2]
14C. Imperial IPA

15. German Wheat and Rye Beer

15A. Weizen/Weissbier
15B. Dunkelweizen [1]
15C. Weizenbock
15D. Roggenbier (German Rye Beer)

16. Belgian and French Ale

16A. Witbier [1]
16B. Belgian Pale Ale
16C. Saison
16D. Bière de Garde
16E. Belgian Specialty Ale [3]

17. Sour Ale

17A. Berliner Weisse
17B. Flanders Red Ale
17C. Flanders Brown Ale/Oud Bruin
17D. Straight (Unblended) Lambic
17E. Gueuze
17F. Fruit Lambic

18. Belgian Strong Ale

18A. Belgian Blond Ale
18B. Belgian Dubbel
18C. Belgian Tripel
18D. Belgian Golden Strong Ale [1]
18E. Belgian Dark Strong Ale [1]

19. Strong Ale

19A. Old Ale
19B. English Barleywine
19C. American Barleywine

20. Fruit Beer

20A. Fruit Beer

21. Spice / Herb / Vegetable Beer

21A. Spice / Herb / Vegetable Beer [1]
21B. Christmas/Winter Specialty Spiced Beer

22. Smoke-Flavored and wood-Aged Beer

22A. Classic Rauchbier [1]
22B. Other Smoked Beer
22C. Wood-Aged Beer [1]

23. Specialty Beer

23A. Specialty Beer [2]

Advertisement