Beer Style Perception vs. Brewery Designation

Kölsch might be the single most mislabeled style in all of beer. Beyond the naming convention (legit attempts should be "Kölsch style ale" outside of Köln), most aren't even trying to be accurate. Yet they still throw that name around for no reason. It's just a fancy name for a blonde ale or a cooler sounding base for a fruit beer of some sort.

 

Kölsch? Distant second (or third... or ...) to "IPA".

(Also, German protectionism doesn't have anything to do with beer style per se.)

 

Calling the murky, turbid, juice-looking beers currently popular IPAs has to be the most egregious example of mis-naming out there.

 

Calling something a NEIPA because its hazy. I have seen loads of beers out that call themselves NEIPA and are not even close, more like a hazed up traditional IPA.

 

Categorizing beer by individual beer style perception is a dangerous trap. Regularly people talk on this site about individual difference is perception, e.g. "Everybody has their own unique palate. Everybody's tastes are different. Etc., Etc." If you think the style categorization system is confusing or messed up now, image what it would be like if it based only on what people's tastes are.

 

Yes. Relatedly, styles also change with time. Greene King IPA has been brewed for over 100 years. It's 3.6% ABV would exclude it from current IPA standards, but that does not mean it's not an IPA. You can't go back in time and argue with a brewer; the beer is and always will be what they say it is.

 

If a good 5k runner entered the 100m dash as a competitor, s/he would be scored in the 100m. No one would expect differently.

I rate to the designation of the brewer.

Style labeling is a must for brewers. It gives the consumer a quick description of what they are buying.

 

I've never thought of Alaskan Amber as an Alt but, calling it Amber probably sells it better than if they called it Alaskan Alt.

 

Probably the most classic 'error' on a brewer's classification of a certain beer's style would be Zombie Dust. The hops are so flavorful in that beer that most drinkers would call it an IPA. But not Three Floyds. To them, it's a Pale Ale, probably based upon the abv of the beer being lower than what is generally defined as an IPA's alcohol level.

 

It is not generally realised that IPAs were normally the weakest Pale Ales in a brewery lineup. When the World Wars led to shortages and general reduction in strength IPAs became similar in strength to Greene King's.
With regard to Kolsch, I do feel that the originators requests regarding its nature should be respected, it costs nothing. They were trying to preserve the product. And it is that rare beast, an Obergarige Lagerbier or top fermented lager. Unfortunately years of beer writers who have simply regurgitated other writers material have convinced Joe Public that all lagers are bottom fermented. But Lagerbier is simply that which has been stored in cool conditions. Lager means to store.

 

Lager beers are indeed fermented by bottom fermentation yeast.

Below is from the book The Practical Brewer: Manual to the Brewing Industry, 1946:

"305. What is Lager Beer

The resulting brew, or wort, is fermented by yeast of the bottom fermentation type..."

Cheers!

 

You will find such statements all over the place but as I say, beer literature is rarely based on thorough research. Just reiteration of existing material.

 

You make a convincing argument. What literature are you referencing to make your point?

 

Do you have any examples of top fermented Lagers?

 

Except when the ale brewery was in the United States, when the brewer's IPA was typically their highest ABV ale, sometimes second to their Stock Ale. The ales of lower alcoholic content, like Cream/Sparkling/Brilliant ales, were uusally around or slightly above the typical strength of US lager beers.

Before Prohibition and after Repeal, US brewing authorities, Robert Wahl, Ph. D and Dr. Leo Wallerstein both objected to proposed US Federal Regulations that defined lager beer as being only bottom fermented. See Top and bottom fermenting yeast - which also quotes other US brewers agreeing with the rules and disagreeing with the then increasing use of lager yeast at warm fermentation temperatures to brew so-called "bastard ales".

After Repeal in the US most US ales were "stored" for a similar length of time as the brewer's lager beers.

 

If by your question you mean other top-fermented beers that are lagered? Altbier.