Brewed a great beer, need help with category!

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emprbasist

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Hey guys, I'm hoping I can get some input from the HBT community. I brewed a pretty fantastic beer (IMO :drunk:) that was based on this Red Rye that was posted in the recipe database here by cweston https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f70/red-rye-ale-25929/

The only thing I changed is that I decreased the hop additions by about 25-30% each to net a Beersmith calculated IBU rating of 29.5. I'd really like to enter this beer in a competition or two, but I can't seem to find a category that it fits. Between the rye malt and flaked rye, rye makes up about 22% of the grain bill. I wanted to put it in the American Wheat/Rye category, but the color is way out of range for the style at about 11 SRM.

What do you guys/gals think might be the best category for it? Hoping to find a category other than just the "specialty beer" category, but I will submit it there if I have to. Here is the grain bill just for more info.

Grain:
7 lb. American 2-row
1 lb. American Munich
8 oz. American crystal 120L
4 oz. Belgian CaraMunich
2 oz. Belgian Special B
1.5 lb. Flaked rye
1 lb. Rye malt

Hops:
.36 oz. Columbus (13.9% AA, 60 min.)
.36 oz. Columbus (13.9% AA, 20 min.)
.36 oz. Columbus (13.9% AA, 10 min.)
.36 oz. Columbus (13.9% AA, 2 min.)

Yeast: Nottingham

Thanks for any help you might be able to give! :mug:
 
I would say an Oktoberfest, or just American Amber or American Rye.

Edit: Looking at BJCP, it is too dark for Kolsch or Roggenbier, Oktoberfest except the rye is throwing it off. I dont think that 11 is that far off for American Rye. You may have to go Specialty, either the rye, color or IBU's is always off for a style.
 
american amber ?

i'm guessing the hops are more upfront than the rye - i doubt with that much rye that the rye flavor would dominate enough to make it very noticeable and upfront
 
Well I can tell you the hops aren't very noticeable, they are present just not very forward at all. I can't really answer whether the rye is very noticeable though because I haven't had many rye beers in my life.

Amber may end up being the best category for it. The American rye category would be perfect if the color wasn't so far out.

Thanks guys, any other input is welcome!
 
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