Have I finally brewed a 34C?

[AlexKay]

34C Experimental: This is explicitly a catch-all category for any beer that does not fit into an existing style description. No beer is ever “out of style” in this style, unless it fits elsewhere. This is the last resort for any beer entered into a competition.

So here's my recipe for a 2.5-gallon batch:
4 lbs. lavender-smoked 2-row
2.5 lb. Vienna
2.5 lb. white wheat

7 g Magnum (10.6% AA) @ 60 min.
14 g Tettnang (3.3 % AA) @ 15 min.
W-34/70
ABV (after fermentation): 8.0%
freeze-concentrated to ABV 11-12% (estimate)

Since I didn't brew this to style ("Eisrauchbock" is not a recognized style, let alone "Lavender Eisrauchbock"), so I'm probably not going to submit this to a competition, but I have to admit I like playing the "what BJCP category is this?" game. It's too light for a smoked eisbock, and too strong for a smoked maibock. Fermentation character is very clean, smoke is noticeable, spicy and flowery but not too strong. Alcohol is very present, but not too hot (and I suspect will mellow more with age.)

Any ideas?

 

[jdauria]

Probably 32B, Specialty Smoked Beer. It says "A Specialty Smoked Beer is either a smoked beer based on something other than a Classic Style, or any type of smoked beer with additional ingredients (fruits, vegetables, spices) or processes employed that transform the beer into something more unique.".... could argue using lavender to smoke it is Process employed that transforms the beer. Otherwise, it would be 34B, Mixed Styles, with the styles being Eisbock and Classic Smoked Beer.

 

[Twinkeelfool]

Bjcp has a style for every known combination of every ingredient known to man, it’ll fit somewhere

 

[AlexKay]

Two weeks of conditioning and my Lavender Smoked Helles Eisbock is excellent; I'm betting it will only get better. I may not enter it in any competitions because there's not a ton of it and I don't want to give bottles away.

How about this fruit beer? I've entered it in two competitions so far, once with a base style of dubbel, once with a base of Belgian dark strong. No flaws were noted other than it was too roasty for either style (every judge) and maybe not clove-y phenolic enough (some judges). 16E -- Belgian Specialty doesn't exist anymore, so is this one a 34C? Or is it 29C (Specialty fruit beer), base style 20C (Imperial Stout) with pomegranate and candi sugar (and never mind the Belgian yeast)?

(2.5-gallon batch)
5.5 lbs. Maris Otter
1 lb. Victory
1 lb. white wheat
0.5 lb. Special B
0.5 lb Chocolate
0.25 lb. Caramel 120L
~0.7 lb. pomegranate molasses (at flameout)
0.5 lb. D90 candi syrup (at flameout)

8 g Magnum (10.6% AA) @ 60 min.
14 g Willamette (6.0% AA) @ 20 min.

Imperial B48 Triple-Double

OG 1.098/FG 1.023/9.8% ABV

 

[jdauria]

Interesting beer... it could possibly be a 31B Alternate Sugar beer due to the pomegranate molasses, if it provides a distinguishable character to the beer. 29C states in overall impression "a harmonious marriage of fruit, sugar, and beer. The fruit and sugar character should both be evident but in balance with the beer." So that's a tough one...to me it seems like 29C requires fruit PLUS some additional fermentables. Again, if pomegranate is not tasted in the beer, then it would not score well in any fruit category.

 

[AlexKay]

The pomegranate is quite strong, actually. You can’t miss it. The first version of this recipe used 1.4 lbs of the molasses (and omitted the candi syrup) and it was overpowering.