Dark American-Belgo-Style Ale
Color: Brown to black
Clarity: Chill haze is acceptable at low temperatures
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Perception of roasted malts or barley can be very low to robust
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Hop aroma and flavor is medium to very high, exhibiting American-type hop aromas not usually found in traditional Belgian styles.
Perceived Bitterness: Medium to very high
Fermentation Characteristics: Fruity-estery aroma and flavors are medium to high. Attributes typical of fermentation with Belgian yeast such as banana, coriander, spice and/or smoky-phenolic should be in balance with malt and hops. Diacetyl, sulfur and Brettanomycesshould not be perceived.
Body: Medium-low to medium
Additional Notes:
Dark American-Belgo-Style Ales are either:
- Non-Belgian darker beer types portraying the unique attributes imparted by yeasts typically used in big fruity Belgian-style ales
- Defined darker Belgian-style beers displaying a unique character of American hops.
These beers are unique unto themselves.
When using these guidelines as the basis for evaluating entries at competitions, brewers may be asked to provide supplemental information about entries in this category to allow for accurate evaluation of diverse entries. Such information might include the underlying beer style upon which the entry is based, or other information unique to the entry such as ingredients or processing which influence perceived sensory outcomes. Competition organizers may create subcategories which reflect groups of entries based on color, hop varieties, microflora, fruit, spices or other ingredients, wood aging, etc.
- Color SRM (EBC): 16+ (32+ EBC)
- ABV: Varies with style %
- IBU: Varies with style
- AE - Apparent Extract: Varies with style
- OG - Original Gravity: Varies with style