BJCP 2015 Style Guidelines

Discussion in 'Beer News' started by Smokingtony, Sep 24, 2015.

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  1. Smokingtony

    Smokingtony Initiate (0) Nov 14, 2014 Texas

  2. ONovoMexicano

    ONovoMexicano Initiate (0) Jun 14, 2012 New Mexico

    That's a lot of reading. @Smokingtony are you working on a Cliff's Notes version?
     
  3. Smokingtony

    Smokingtony Initiate (0) Nov 14, 2014 Texas

    Not a bad idea, but definitely a job for someone else. I think the most important stuff is in the table of contents where new styles are introduced and the way in which styles are categorized.
     
  4. Giovannilucano

    Giovannilucano Pooh-Bah (1,975) Feb 24, 2011 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    I noticed they have an Italian Style as well
     
  5. VincentFrey

    VincentFrey Initiate (0) Jul 30, 2011 Maryland

    Are these changed from the previous 2015 guidelines? I feel like I've had this open before.
     
  6. Smokingtony

    Smokingtony Initiate (0) Nov 14, 2014 Texas

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  7. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,635) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah

    The 2015 guidelines were released in May.

    Nov 1, all exams are to use the 2015 guidelines
     
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  8. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    I like that they've gotten a lot more people involved in fine-tuning the styles, but there seems to be some odd distinctions. I've never really considered a Vienna Lager "bitter."
     
  9. BottleCaps80

    BottleCaps80 Initiate (0) Jan 12, 2013 Iowa

    I consider them more "spicy" than bitter.
     
  10. westcoastbeergeek

    westcoastbeergeek Initiate (0) Sep 16, 2015 Canada (BC)

    So many categories of styles...

    I love the part about the style guidelines specifically "they are guidelines, they are suggestions, not specifications". I suppose that's always been the case. "The style guidelines are not the Ten Commandments"
     
  11. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    I think Ron Pattinson wrote that part. :wink:
     
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  12. LittleDog

    LittleDog Initiate (0) Dec 19, 2014 Texas

    Is Guinness still a stout? Harp or Bass pale ale? I entered a perfect carbonation Guinness and every judge said way too watery for a stout
     
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  13. Ranbot

    Ranbot Pooh-Bah (2,463) Nov 27, 2006 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Did you enter it as an Irish Stout (15B) or one of the other stout categories? If beer categories were like a tree with "beer" as the trunk, then "stout/porter" is a main branch with many secondary branches for the specific sub-styles, but there is no set style for just "stout"
     
  14. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Sounds like judges lacking in experience. Unless, as Ranbot points out, it was mis-categorized.
     
  15. algebeeric_topology

    algebeeric_topology Pooh-Bah (2,052) Dec 30, 2014 Florida
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    From "Specialty IPA," I'm excited to one day try a "Zima Clear IPA"!!!
     
  16. gfanikf

    gfanikf Initiate (0) Jul 26, 2015 Pennsylvania

    So how useful is this for a newbie to beer, at least understanding the different styles and what constitutes them? I swear when people say it tastes hoppy or malty, it just registers as nothing in my head. I figure this combined with the guide on this site should be useful, right?
     
  17. JackHorzempa

    JackHorzempa Grand Pooh-Bah (3,375) Dec 15, 2005 Pennsylvania
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Maybe the book “Tasting Beer: An Insider's Guide to the World's Greatest Drink” would be helpful for you.

    http://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Beer-Insiders-Worlds-Greatest/dp/1603420894

    Cheers!
     
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  18. FarmerTed

    FarmerTed Pundit (928) May 31, 2011 Colorado

    I would say it's marginally useful. The guidelines really exist just to help home-brewers make beers for competitions, and to give the judges criteria for scoring entries into a particular category.
     
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  19. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    But they also include commercial examples of each "style" as another guideline. Useful in that it shows what professionals are brewing as such a style.
     
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  20. gfanikf

    gfanikf Initiate (0) Jul 26, 2015 Pennsylvania

    Thanks guys. I've had the book recommended to me before and seeing how it's only 9 bucks shipped from Amazon and 2.99 for the Kindle edition if you get the paperback one...I figured why not and bought them both.
     
    JackHorzempa likes this.
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