Does This Beer Style Exist?

[natelindner]

Hi all,

I've been curious as of late. I like my beers on the malty side. There are styles of light ales (cream ale, blonde ale) that are not very hoppy and styles of dark ales (porters, stouts) that can be hoppy but aren't usually. My question is: does a style exist that is medium-bodied (amber) in malt profile but isnt hoppy? American Amber Ales are generally considered to be medium hoppy and fairly bitter

 

[chickypad]

Scottish and Irish ales are more toward the malty side than American styles and are in the amber to brown color range generally. See here.

 

[Yooper]

Some American ambers are hoppy, but some aren't.
There are other amber styles that are malty, though- maibock comes to mind, as does Oktoberfest (both German lagers).

 

[Entrepreneur640]

Mmmmmm. Scottish Wee-Heavy!

 

[julioardz]

Like Yooper, Bocks and Oktoberfests come to mind. I'm drinking a whiskey barrel oak Doppelbock now. Unfortunately for you, it's full body, full on malt liquid bread, but a Traditional Bock would do. I've had a few amber lagers that fit that description. I like Live Oak Big Bark. I haven't tried to clone it, but it's been on my mind. AHBS has a clone kit here.

All malty ambers I can think of are lagers. What about a Brown Ale? They are malty and low on hops as well. AHBS has Nut Brown Ale kit that I have tried. It's one of my favorites for malty beer.

I promise, I don't work for AHBS. They're just my LHBS, so they're the only shop I know.

 

[wailingguitar]

I agree with the above bock, o-fest/Maerzen and brown ale... while a number of brown ales are considerably darker than 'amber', some, like Newcastle, are certainly in that color zone

 

[homebrewdad]

Irish reds are nice and malty, but not hoppy at all. A great many brown ales are also malty but not hoppy. Both can absolutely be medium in body.

 

[woozy]

Palmer's web version How to brew has a simple two variable chart of styles. The variables are malty-fruit and sweet-bitter:

So you probably would look in the upper right hand corner for Malty-sweet. English Brown, American Brown. Vienna, etc. Mmm english brown...

Of course this is very subjective and rough and "malty" doesn't really mean "dark" as you'd like it to.

I kind of wish there were a version of this chart but with variables for full-body/light body and for color.

I'm with you that I prefer my beers on the malty side but I don't like them sweet. I don't know that I'd say American Ambers are hoppy but then again... Sierra Nevada ... yeah, I see your point...

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and... heh-heh ... you're a home brewer! Invent one! *Make* an american amber with only half the hops!