This might not go over well in Belgium. I pick Belgium because that is notoriously the land of non-styles, and although the Brewers Association does not define any additional styles in the 2008 Beer Style Guidelines there are 11 new categories.
Before getting to the list, a few words from Carl Kins, a Belgian beer enthusiast who judges at the Great American beer festival and world beer Cup: “We Belgians do not like categorization that much.”
Also, I hope Ron Pattinson is looking on and has some comments on the Leipzig-style Göse (maybe even a post I can just link to). So I’ll also drop that in before the list of what’s new.
The original versions of this style of beer were spontaneously fermented, similarly to Belgian style gueuze/lambic beers. No current German Göse breweries introduce any other microorganism into the fermentation other than pure beer yeast strains. This style description is indicative of traditional and original Göse. Complexity of acidic, flavor and aroma typical of original-style Göse should be contributed by developing acidity through introducing appropriate wild yeast and bacteria into the fermentation.
Göse is enjoyed fresh, carbonated, and cloudy, with yeast character and may have evidence of continued fermentation activity. Light in color, negligible malt and hop character. Some versions may have the spicy character of added coriander. Salt (table salt) character is also permissible in low amounts. Character of lactic acid is evident. Horsey, leathery, earthy aroma and flavors contributed by Brettanomyces yeasts may be evident but have a very low profile, as this beer is not excessively aged. Overall complexity of flavors and aromas are sought. Balance between acidity, and yeast-enhanced, spice and refreshment is ideal.
Original Gravity (ºPlato):
1.040-1.046 (10-11.5 ºPlato)
Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (ºPlato):
1.008-1.012 (2-3 ºPlato)
Alcohol by Weight (Volume):
3.5-4% (4.4-5%)
Bitterness (IBU): 10-15
Color SRM (EBC): 3-6 (6-12 EBC)
Now, the other new stuff.
Fresh Hop Ale
Ales which are hopped exclusively with fresh and un-dried (“wet”) hops.
American-Belgo Styles Ales
These beers portray the unique characters imparted by yeasts typically used in fruity and big Belgian-style ales.
Belgian-Style Blonde Ale
Belgian-style blonde ales are characterized by low yet evident hop bitterness, flavor and sometimes aroma.
Australasian-Style Pale Ale
This style is a mild, pale, light-bodied ale with a color varying from light to amber. Hop bitterness and flavor range from very low to low.
Out of Category- Traditionally Brewed Beers
There are many excellent and popular beers that are brewed with traditional ingredients and processes, yet their character may vary from styles currently defined or included in these guidelines.
Wood- and Barrel- Aged Beer
Any lager, ale, or hybrid beer, either a traditional style or a unique experimental beer that has been aged for a period of time in a wooden barrel or in contact with wood.
Wood- and Barrel- Aged Pale to Amber Beer
Any classic style or unique experimental beer that has been aged for a period of time in a wooden barrel or in contact with wood.
Wood- and Barrel- Aged Dark Beer
Any classic style or unique experimental style of dark beer beer can be wood or barrel-aged for a period of time in a wooden barrel or in contact with wood.
Wood- and Barrel- Aged Strong Beer
Any strong classic style or unique, experimental style of beer can bee wood or barrel-aged for a period of time in a wooden barrel or in contact with wood.
Wood- and Barrel- Aged Sour Beer
A wood- or barrel- aged beer is any lager, ale, or hybrid beer, either a traditional style or a unique experimental beer that has been aged for a period of time in a wooden barrel or in contact with wood and has developed a bacterial induced natural acidity.
Traditional brews? Great! Time to brew some Cervesa Casera ?
Having misplaced accents in several languages myself, I’m trying to find a polite way to point out to the editors of the style guidelines that the name of the beer is Gose, no umlaut, not Göse.
The words are pronounced rather differently: Go-zuh. Goo-zuh. Not the same.
It’s a small mistake, but for some readers this would make it hard to trust anything else the style guidelines might say.
Thanks, Evan.
I’d never seen it with an umlaut, so was wondering how I missed that.
Reminding me of the saying we kept posted above every terminal on the copy desk where I once worked:
“You believe everything you read in the paper until they write something you know about.”
Oh no — not the S word!! 🙂
Honestly though, Australasian?
Well, I have to say I’ve done worse myself. Is there a way to send a message to the editors? It’s spelled that way throughout the PDF.
It reminds me of a story I heard back in California about a sign for a street called Nuevo Año, but which was printed as “Nuevo Ano.”
As I understand it, that’s like trying to write “New Year Road,” but instead printing it as “New Asshole Road.”
Naturally, they reprinted the signs…
these guidelines are making my head hurt. They have 2 diffent guidelines for marzen and o’fest. Sound like they are saying the marzen is the traditional beer while the o’fest is what is currently served at the festival. Fair enough I can go with that except the o’fest pretty much is a copy and paste from the dortmunder. If they are serving dortmunders at the o’fest why do we need to catagories?
I have never been to o’fest but I had heard that the beer they currently serve is closer to a helles.
Nothing wrong with a few more wood beers……
Well, I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see the label of the winner of this year’s American-Belgo category. “Setting the standard for American-Belgo beers since 2008!”
Kill me now.
Swordboarder: I’m all for more barrel-aged beers but I don’t know we need more categories.
Jeff: This would seem to be the place to enter Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel.
The Belgians may not care about styles but we’ll invent one to accommodate what they brew. The guidelines call for beers between 30 and 100 IBU.
You have inspired me to post a rant on this topic. Yes, a guideline that calls for a beer between 30 and 100 IBU is exactly what we need to clarify things.
Editor’s note: Jeff’s rant can be found here.
I’m on the fence on this one. Part of me sees the need (the scientist), part of me thinks it’s absurd (the casual beer drinker).
Do kings play chess on fine grained sand?
These are strictly for the GABF, right? So I don’t think Ron’s panties will wad that much.
And what? No maltless/hopless category? Chicken Little is crying somewhere I think.
BTW, is there any Gose brewed in the US?
Loren, I assume that they are for the GABF and world beer cup, which I believe are both put on by the BA. Which could explain that gose is there for the world beer cup rather than gabf.
And as far as hopless catagories, that will be next year. “Ale with hop subsitute” and “lager with hop subsitute”.
And the BJCP guidelines are for homebrew competitions.
But you still get discussions like this one.
Sidney, I’m guessing Gose ends up in GABF. There might already be more US breweries (including brewpubs) making a beer based on a Gose experience than there are in Germany.
“Jeff: This would seem to be the place to enter Houblon Chouffe Dobbelen IPA Tripel.
The Belgians may not care about styles but we’ll invent one to accommodate what they brew. The guidelines call for beers between 30 and 100 IBU.”
We picked 50. D for that kind of beer for this year’s WBC
D. Subcategory: Other Belgian-Style Ale
Recognizing the uniqueness, diversity and traditions of ales inspired by or brewed after several Belgian styles, the beers entered in this category do not fit existing competition style guidelines shown in categories 41-49 above. For the purposes of this competition, Belgian-style ales that represent a blending or hybridization of multiple other styles, or Belgian-style ales that simply don’t fit into any other category or subcategory, would be appropriately entered in this subcategory.
Hopefully we picked right.
D. Subcategory: Other Belgian-Style Ale
Loren,
The Draught House in Austin has a gose.
I’m somewhat perplexed by their description of the Gose. Obviously spelling it incorrectly raised a red flag right away. But there are a couple things that seem odd. First, they say “Some versions may have the spicy character of added coriander. Salt (table salt) character is also permissible in low amounts.” Coriander and salt are the two of the three defining characteristics of a Gose (along with a lactic sourness). It seems like these should be defined as mandatory, not permissible. Also, they say “Horsey, leathery, earthy aroma and flavors contributed by Brettanomyces yeasts may be evident but have a very low profile…” I couldn’t detect any Brett-like flavors in either the Döllnitzer or the Bayerischer Bahnhof Gose. Any sourness is lactic (like a Berliner Weisse), and I suspect this Brett reference stems from the common misconception that Gose is somehow related to Geuze (which they infer up front). Sorry if it sounds like I’m ranting, but given the relative obscurity of the style (there are basically two breweries in Leipzig that still brew it) you think they’d do a little more research before essentially redefining the style to the entire American craft beer community.
The Draught House in Austin has a gose.
Also Golden City, which shares Golden, Colo., with Coors and Herkimer in Minnesota . . .
Whoever wrote that has clearly never tried Döllnitzer Rittergutsgose, which is sour and delicious and has more than just yeast in it. It definitely has a Brett character, especially on draught. The Bayerischer Bahnhof Gose just isn’t right and isn’t really typical of the style. Döllnitzer Rittergutsgose masatches the historical descriptions pretty well perfectly. I’ve had a ferw other versions of Gose brewed for Ohne Bedenken which were similar to Rittergutsgose.
Oktobberfest: what is currently sold at the festival is a Helles Märzen (14º Plato). It used to be an amber Märzen. It seems the old version is still exported to the USA. Märzen comes in any colour you fancy, from pils-like tyo black. It’s an indication of strength rather than a specific style. I’ve been telling people this for years, but no-one wants to listen.
People insist on trying to use the bjcp definitions to describe the real world. Despite the fact that they are clearly incapable of doing so.
I have to admit not having read these new guidelines. A couple of sentences in I start losing the will to live.
People insist on trying to use the bjcp definitions to describe the real world. Despite the fact that they are clearly incapable of doing so.
Just for the record, these are BA guidelines – although the AHA is part of the BA and there is AHA/BJCP crossover these are two very different organizations.
But the question you raise in my mind is if these two particular style guidelines are incapable or that trying to shoehorn beers – for competitions or general drinking – into guidelines is doomed to failure. When Michael Jackson and Fred Eckhardt began this sort of classification they were much more general.
Should competitions be more like BIAA, based mostly on alcoholic strength? Or maybe there is some other better model.
My confusion. There were way too many acronyms for me there.
Yes. I think so. That’s why I’ve never tried to come up wit my own detailed descriptions. Pointless without equivocation.
Did you see that? Where did it come from? The blood. There’s blood all over my hands. And I have no cuts. The blood. Where has it come from?
It makes my day to see the domain name PointlessWithoutEquivocation.com is available.
Fantastic blog you’ve got right here. A lot of sites like yours cover subjects that arent found in magazines. I dont know how we received by 12 years ago with just newspapers and magazines.