BJCP style guide question about Category 23.

[Crucial-BBQ]

For those of you not familiar, Category 23 is Specialty Beer.


I intend to enter a local home-brew contest that is being held in the near future. My dilemma is that I do not know under which category to enter my beer. The one I intend to enter is a west-coast style IPA, but brewed with the addition of naked oats and fermented with a saison yeast. I am sure that the naked oats alone do not constitute a specialty beer, but what about the yeast? Is it enough difference to make this a speciality brew?

What if I added a tiny bit of coriander?

I have managed to avoid the BJCP style guide in all my years of home brewing. Now that I "must" abide by it I am a bit confused.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[MedicMang]

I would not put it in the IPA category. If someone tasted it and the yeast gave it a saison flavor, they are going to say that it doesn't taste like IPA. enter it in both categories if you dare and see what they have to say. I would bet you would get a better score in 23.


Sent from Cheese Doodle Land.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

The yeast will throw it out of style for category 14 for sure.

With the saison yeast, it may also fit into 16E, Belgian Specialty Ale... You may want to enter it in both categories, 16E and 23...

 

[Crucial-BBQ]

Thank you for the suggestions. I did not think of Category 16E but with further thought I do have a Belgian IPA on my hands no matter how AIPA I want it to be.

Looking at last years results, Belgian/French styles had the second highest number of contestants, with the winner being a 16E. To add, that winner was also one of the three Best in Show...

...I'm down for the challenge