Smoke Beer Style
- Color: Any beer of any style incorporating smoke, and therefore may range from very light to black
- Clarity: Varies with underlying beer style
- Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Varies with underlying beer style
- Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Varies with underlying beer style
- Perceived Bitterness: Varies with underlying beer style
- Fermentation Characteristics: For Smoke Beers based on lager styles, any phenolic notes (if present) should be derived from smoke; in such lagers yeast-derived phenolics should not be present.
- Body: Varies with underlying beer style
- Additional notes: Any style of beer can be smoked. The goal is to reach a balance between the style’s character and the smoky properties. Any smoke beer that does not fit other smoke beer categories are appropriately categorized here.
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(s), or other information unique to the entry such as type of wood smoke or processing which influence perceived sensory outcomes.
Smoke Beer Vital Statistics
- Original Gravity (°Plato) Varies with style
- Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) Varies with style
- Alcohol by Weight (Volume) Varies with style
- Bitterness (IBU) Varies with style
- Color SRM (EBC) Varies with style
2020 Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines used with permission of Brewers Association.
Credit: 2020 Brewers Association Beer Style Guidelines – Hybrid/Mixed Lagers or Ale – Smoke Beer