Lagers - U.S. Open Beer Championship Categories

Lagers – U.S. Open Beer Championship Categories

Category 74: Light Lager
A. Subcategory: American Light Lager

Color: Very light to pale
Clarity: Chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Very low
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Absent to very low
Perceived Bitterness: Absent to very low
Fermentation Characteristics: Low fruity-estery aromas and ﬂavors are acceptable. Diacetyl should be absent. Corn, rice, or other grain or sugar adjuncts are often used. These beers are characterized by an extremely high degree of attenuation. Final gravity is often less than 1.000 (0 ºPlato).
Body: Low with dry mouthfeel
Additional notes: These beers are high in carbonation. Flavor attributes typical of beer are usually very low when present. Calories should not exceed 125 per 12-ounce serving. Low carb beers should have a maximum carbohydrate level of 3.0 gm per 12 oz. (356 ml).
ABV: 3.50% – 4.40%
IBUs: 5-10
Color SRM: 1.5-4

B. Subcategory: German Leichtbier
Overall Impression: A pale, highly-attenuated, light-bodied German lager with lower alcohol and calories than normal-strength beers. Moderately bitter with noticeable malt and hop flavors, the beer is still interesting to drink.
Appearance: Straw to pale gold in color. Brilliant clarity. Moderate white head with average to below average persistence.
Aroma: Low to medium hop aroma, with a spicy, herbal, or floral character. Low to medium-low grainy-sweet or slightly crackery malt aroma. Clean fermentation profile.
Flavor: Low to medium grainy-sweet malt flavor initially. Medium hop bitterness. Low to medium hop flavor, with a spicy, herbal, or floral quality. Clean fermentation character, well-lagered. Dry finish with a light malty and hoppy aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: Light to very light body. Medium to high carbonation. Smooth, well-attenuated.
IBU: 15 – 28
SRM: 2 – 5
ABV: 2.4% – 3.6%

Category 75: American Lager/Pilsner

Color: Straw to gold
Clarity: Appearance should be bright; chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Medium-low to medium
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Hop aroma and ﬂavor is medium to high, exhibiting attributes typical of noble-type hops
Perceived Bitterness: Medium to high
Fermentation Characteristics: DMS, fruity-estery and diacetyl aromas and flavors should be absent.
Body: Medium-low to medium
Additional notes: Up to 25% corn in the grist should be used. Beers in this category hew to American-style lagers typical of the pre-Prohibition era. When using these guidelines as the basis for evaluating entries at competitions, organizers may wish to subcategorize this category into rice and corn subcategories, or may wish to group Pre-Prohibition and Contemporary American-Style Pilseners as subcategories.

ABV: 4.10% – 5.10%
IBU: 5-14
Color SRM: 2-4

Category 76: American Premium Lager
This style has low malt (and adjunct) sweetness, is medium bodied, and should contain no or a low percentage (less than 25%) of adjuncts. Color may be light straw to golden. Alcohol content and bitterness may also be greater. Hop aroma and flavor is low or negligible. Light fruity esters are acceptable. Chill haze and diacetyl should be absent.
ABV: 4.10% – 5.10%
IBU: 6-15
Color SRM: 2-6

Category 77: American Amber Lager
A. Subcategory: American-Style Amber Lager

Color: Gold to copper
Clarity: Appearance should be bright; chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Low to medium-low caramel or toasted malt aromas and ﬂavors should be present
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Very low to medium-high
Perceived Bitterness: Very low to medium-high
Fermentation Characteristics: Fruity-estery and diacetyl aromas and ﬂavors should be absent
Body: Medium

ABV: 4.80% – 5.40%
IBUs: 18–30
Color SRM: 6–14

Category 78: California Common Beer

Color: Light amber to medium amber
Clarity: Appearance should be bright; chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Toasted malt and/or caramel malt aroma and ﬂavor may be perceived
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Low to medium-low
Perceived Bitterness: Medium to medium-high
Fermentation Characteristics: Fruity-estery aromas and ﬂavors are low to medium-low. Diacetyl should be absent.
Body: Medium
Additional notes: California Common beers are brewed with lager yeasts but fermented at warm temperatures like ales

ABV: 4.60% – 5.70%
IBUs: 35-45
Color SRM: 8-15

Category 79: Bohemian Pilsener

Color: Straw to gold
Clarity: Appearance should be bright; chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: A slightly sweet and toasted, biscuity, bready malt aroma and ﬂavor is evident.
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Low to medium-low, derived from noble-type hops.
Perceived Bitterness: Medium
Fermentation Characteristics: Very low levels of diacetyl and DMS character, if perceived, are characteristic of this style and may accent malt character. Low levels of fermented malt-derived sulfur compounds may be evident.
Body: Medium
Additional notes: The head should be dense.

ABV: 4.1%-5.1%
IBU: 30-45
Color SRM: 3-7

Category 80: German Lager/Pilsener

Color: Straw to pale
Clarity: Appearance should be bright; chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: A malty sweet aroma and flavor should be present.
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Hop aroma and ﬂavor is moderate and pronounced, derived from late hopping (not dry hopping) with noble-type hops.
Perceived Bitterness: Medium to high
Fermentation Characteristics: Very low levels of DMS aroma and ﬂavor, usually below most people’s thresholds, may be detectable by trained or sensitive palates. Other fermentation or hop-derived sulfur aromas and flavors may be perceived at low levels. Fruity-estery aromas and ﬂavors should not be perceived. These are well attenuated beers.
Body: Medium-light
Additional notes: The head should be dense, pure white and persistent.

ABV: 4.6%-5.3%
IBU: 30-40
Color SRM: 3-4

Category 81: International Style Pilsner
Subcategories

a) International Style Pilsner

Body: Low to medium
Malt Flavors & Aromas: Residual malt aroma and ﬂavor may be present at low levels
Hop Flavors & Aromas: Low
Fermentation Characteristics: Very low levels of DMS aroma and ﬂavor are acceptable. Fruity esters and diacetyl should not be present.
Common Ingredients: Two- or six-row barley. May use rice, corn, or sugar as adjuncts, or may be all malt

b) Italian Pilsner
German-style pilsners that have been dry-hopped with European hops for maximum aroma.

c) New Zealand Lager

Color: Straw to pale
Clarity: Appearance should be bright; chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Residual malt aroma and ﬂavor may be perceived at low levels
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Low
Perceived Bitterness: Low to medium
Fermentation Characteristics: Very low levels of DMS aroma and ﬂavor are acceptable. Fruity-estery and diacetyl aromas and flavors should not be perceived.
Body: Low to medium
Additional notes: These beers are often brewed with rice, corn, wheat, or other grains making up part of the mash. Sugar adjuncts may be added during the wort production process.

ABV: 4.60% – 5.30%
IBU: 17 – 30
Color SRM: 3 – 4

d. Australasian, Latin American or Tropical-Style Light Lager

Body: Low
Malt Flavors & Aromas: Malt sweetness is absent
Hop Flavors & Aromas: Not present to very low
Fermentation Characteristics: Sugar adjuncts are often used to lighten the body and ﬂavor, sometimes contributing to very low to low fruity esters such as apple or pear. Diacetyl should not be present.
Common Ingredients: Two-row or six-row base malt. Color malts such as victory, amber, etc. Caramel malt adjuncts. European or American hops or a combination of both.

Category 82: Mexican Pilsner

Color: Straw to pale
Clarity: Appearance should be bright; chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Residual malt aroma and ﬂavor may be perceived at low levels
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Low to medium-low
Perceived Bitterness: Low to medium-low
Fermentation Characteristics: Very low levels of DMS aroma and ﬂavor are acceptable. Fruity-estery and diacetyl aromas and flavors should not be perceived.
Body: Low to medium
Additional notes: These beers are often brewed with rice, corn, wheat, or other grains making up part of the mash. Sugar adjuncts may be added during the wort production process.

ABV: 4.20% – 5.30%
IBU: 15-28
Color SRM: 3 – 4

Category 83: Münchner Helles

Color: Pale to golden
Clarity: Appearance should be bright; chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Malt aroma and ﬂavor are pronounced. Low levels of yeast-produced sulfur aromas and ﬂavors may be present. Malt character is sometimes bready and suggestive of lightly toasted malted barley. There should be no caramel character.
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Hop aroma is not perceived to low. Hop ﬂavor is very low to low, derived from noble-type hops.
Perceived Bitterness: Low, derived from European noble-type hops.
Fermentation Characteristics: Fruity-estery aromas and ﬂavors should not be perceived. Diacetyl should not be perceived. DMS should not be perceived. A very low level of fermentation-derived sulfur attributes may be evident in balance with other characters.
Body: Medium

ABV: 4.80% – 5.60%
IBU: 18-25
Color SRM: 4-5.5

Category 84: Münchner Dunkel

Color: Light brown to brown
Clarity: Appearance should be bright; chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Malt character is low to medium, with chocolate, roast, bread or biscuit aromas and flavors contributed by the use of dark Munich malt.
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Very low to low, derived from noble-type hops.
Perceived Bitterness: Medium-low to medium
Fermentation Characteristics: Fruity-estery and diacetyl aromas and ﬂavors should not be perceived
Body: Low to medium-low
Additional notes: Dunkels do not offer an overly sweet impression, but rather a balance between malt and dark malt sweetness and hop character.

ABV: 4.80% – 5.30%
IBU: 16-25
Color SRM: 15-20

Category 85: Märzen/Oktoberfest

Color: Pale to reddish-brown
Clarity: Appearance should be bright; chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Bready or biscuity malt aroma and flavor should be present. Sweet maltiness is medium-low to medium and leads to a muted clean hop bitterness. Malt ﬂavors should be of light toast rather than strong caramel. Low level caramel character is acceptable.
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Hop aroma and ﬂavor is low and of noble character
Perceived Bitterness: Medium-low to medium
Fermentation Characteristics: Fruity-estery and diacetyl aromas and ﬂavors should not be perceived
Body: Medium

ABV: 5.1%-6.0%
IBU: 18-25
Color SRM: 4-15

Category 86: Vienna-Style Lager

Color: Copper to reddish-brown
Clarity: Appearance should be bright; chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Characterized by malty aroma and light malt sweetness, which should have a lightly toasted malt character.
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Very low to low, derived from noble-type hops.
Perceived Bitterness: Low to medium-low, clean and crisp.
Fermentation Characteristics: DMS, diacetyl, and fruity esters should not be perceived.
Body: Medium

ABV: 4.80% – 5.40%
Bitterness (IBU): 22 – 28
Color SRM: 12 – 26

Category 87: Schwarzbier

Color: Very dark brown to black, with a pale-colored head.
Clarity: Beer color may be too dark to perceive. When clarity is perceivable, chill haze should not be present.
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Medium malt aroma displays a mild roasted malt character. Malt sweetness is low to medium, and displays a mild roasted malt character without bitterness.
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Hop aroma and ﬂavor is very low to low, derived from noble-type hops.
Perceived Bitterness: Low to medium
Fermentation Characteristics: Fruity-estery and diacetyl aromas and ﬂavors should not be perceived
Body: Low to medium-low

ABV: 3.80% – 4.90%
IBU: 22-30
Color SRM: 25-30

Category 88: Bock

Color: Dark brown to very dark
Clarity: Appearance should be bright; chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Traditional Bocks are made with all malt, and have high malt character with aromas of toasted or nutty malt, but not caramel. Traditional bocks display high malt sweetness. The malt ﬂavor profile should display a balance of sweetness and toasted or nutty malt, but not caramel.
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Very low
Perceived Bitterness: Medium, increasing proportionately with starting gravity.
Fermentation Characteristics: Fruity-estery aromas and ﬂavors if present, should be minimal. Diacetyl should not be perceived.
Body: Medium to full

ABV: 6.30% – 7.60%
IBU: 20-30
Color SRM: 20-30

Category 89: German Heller Bock/Maibock

Color: Pale to light amber. The German word “helle” means light-colored, thus Heller Bock is a pale beer.
Clarity: Appearance should be bright; chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Light toasty and/or bready aroma and flavor is often evident. Roast or heavy toast/caramel malt aromas and ﬂavors should not be present.
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Low to medium-low, derived from noble-type hops.
Perceived Bitterness: Low to medium-low
Fermentation Characteristics: Fruity-estery aromas and ﬂavors, if present, should be low. Diacetyl should not be perceived.
Body: Medium to full

ABV: 6.3%-8.1%
IBU: 20-38
Color SRM: 4-10

Category 90: Strong Bock
Subcategory: German Strong Doppelbock

Color: Copper to dark brown
Clarity: Appearance should be bright; chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Pronounced aromas and flavors of toasted malted barley. Some caramel and toffee character can contribute to complexity in a secondary role. Malty sweetness is pronounced but should not be cloying. There should be no astringency from roasted malts.
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Hop aroma is absent. Hop ﬂavor is low.
Perceived Bitterness: Low
Fermentation Characteristics: Alcoholic strength is high. Fruity-estery ﬂavors and aromas are commonly perceived at low to moderate levels. Diacetyl should be absent.
Body: Full

ABV: 6.60% – 9.50%
IBU: 17-27
Color SRM: 12-30

Subcategory: German Strong Eisbock

Color: Light brown to black
Clarity: Appearance should be bright; chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Sweet malt character is very high
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Hop aroma and ﬂavor is absent
Perceived Bitterness: Very low to low
Fermentation Characteristics: Alcohol may be perceived in aroma. Fruity-estery aromas and ﬂavors may be evident, but not overpowering. Diacetyl should be absent. Alcoholic strength is very high.
Body: Very full
Additional notes: This is a stronger version of Doppelbock. Traditionally

ABV: 8.60% – 14.30%
IBU: 26-33
Color SRM: 18-50

Category 91: Baltic-Style Porter

Color: Very deep ruby/garnet to black
Clarity: Often opaque. When clarity is perceivable, chill haze should not be present.
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Malt sweetness is medium-low to medium-high. Distinctive malt aromas and flavors of caramelized sugars, dark sugars and licorice along with chocolate character of roasted malts are present. Roasted dark malts may contribute coffee character but there should be no bitter or astringent flavors. Debittered roast malts are best used for this style.
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Very low. Floral hop aroma can complement aromatics.
Perceived Bitterness: Low to medium-low
Fermentation Characteristics: Due to its alcoholic strength, there may be very low to low levels of complex alcohol aromas and ﬂavors and/or higher levels of fruitiness suggestive of berries, grapes and plums, but not banana. Fruity-estery aromas and flavors from warm fermentation is not appropriate. Diacetyl and DMS should not be apparent.
Body: Medium to full
Additional notes: Baltic Porter is brewed with lager yeast and fermented and lagered cold producing a smooth beer.

Alcohol by Volume: 7.60% – 9.10%)
IBU: 35-40
Color SRM: 40+

Category 92 – India Pale Lager
Color: Straw to gold
Clarity: Hop haze is allowable. Chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Medium-low to medium, exhibiting bready, cracker-like or other attributes typical of pale malts
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Medium to high with attributes typical of hops of any origin
Perceived Bitterness: Medium to high, but not harsh
Fermentation Characteristics: Fruity esters, DMS and diacetyl should not be present.
Body: Medium-low to medium
Additional notes: This style of beer should exhibit the fresh character of hops.
Alcohol by Volume: 5.6%-7.0%
IBU: 30-70
Color SRM: 3-6

93. Dortmunder Export
Aroma: Low to medium noble (German or Czech) hop aroma. Moderate Pils malt aroma; can be grainy to somewhat sweet. May have an initial sulfury aroma (from water and/or yeast) and a low background note of DMS (from Pils malt). No diacetyl.
Appearance: Light gold to deep gold, clear with a persistent white head.
Flavor: Neither Pils malt nor noble hops dominate, but both are in good balance with a touch of malty sweetness, providing a smooth yet crisply refreshing beer. Balance continues through the finish and the hop bitterness lingers in aftertaste Clean, no fruity esters, no diacetyl. Some mineral character might be noted from the water, although it usually does not come across as an overt minerally flavor.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, medium carbonation.
Overall Impression: Balance and smoothness are the hallmarks of this style. It has the malt profile of a Helles, the hop character of a Pils, and is slightly stronger than both.
IBUs: 16 – 22
ABV: 4.7 – 5.4%
SRM: 3 – 5

89. Dark Lager
A. Subcategory: American Dark Lager
Color: Light brown to very dark
Clarity: Appearance should be clear. Chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Low malt aroma and ﬂavor may include low levels of caramel
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Very low to low
Perceived Bitterness: Very low to low and dissipates quickly.
Fermentation Characteristics: Carbonation is high. Fruity esters, DMS and diacetyl should not be present.
Body: low
Alcohol by Volume: 4.1%-5.6%
IBU: 14-24
SRM: 14-25

B. Subcategory: European-Style Dark Lager
Color: Light brown to dark brown
Clarity: Appearance should be clear. Chill haze should not be present
Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: Low to medium with chocolate, roast, and malt aromas and flavors present.
Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Very low to low with attributes typical of noble-type hops.
Perceived Bitterness: Medium-low to medium-high
Fermentation Characteristics: Fruity esters and diacetyl should not be present.
Body: Low to medium-low
Additional notes: These beers offer a ﬁne balance of sweet maltiness and hop bitterness.
Alcohol by Volume: 4.8%-5.3%
IBU: 20-35
SRM: 15-24