Help me classify this beer...please.

[seatazzz]

I'm having one hell of a time trying to figure out what class to enter this little guy in. Recipe was 12lbs two row, 2lbs homemade crystal 100-120, and 1lb home roasted biscuit/toasty/something. Hops were 1oz Willamette at 60 and 1oz East kent Goldings at 15. Fermented at 64 on Nottingham yeast, ABV is 6%.

Yes I know it's silly to ask someone to classify a beer without tasting it, but I'll do my best to describe it. Very malt forward, not dark/roasty, with a nice caramel flavor, no burnt sugars. Slightly boozy but not like fusels, almost bourbon-y in flavor but not overpowering. Slight fruitiness that comes across as a mild tang in initial flavor. Aftertaste is dark, and lingers.

It's not completely carbed up yet so can't smell much, but it's malty. Entries have to be in by this next weekend. My initial goal was a British Brown or British mild, but after reading BJCP guidelines I'm thinking more along the lines of a Scottish export. I know it's not going to win anything but I don't want it disqualified for entering the wrong class. Any ideas? Going to take a sample to my LHBS and my brewpub boss this week for their opinions too.

 

[Homergah]

You won't really be disqualified. At first glance I thought ESB. But your hop load is too light. And I think you need a bit of roast for the Brown. If the flavor profile stays, maybe the Scottish category is the best place for decent feedback. Regardless, good luck!

 

[Soulshine2]

looks like a brown to me. plug your ingredients into a brew calc and see what it tells you.

 

[Dgallo]

Id go with amber ale but your hop profile is low. Is this your first competition? The reason I ask is, that it might be a terrific beer and score very poorly because it is not brewed to a specific style. This happened to me with an American ipa. The comment were wonderful but all said not to style or not to Balance of style. Ended scoring 24/50 overall. Talked to the judges afterwards about how I could improve the beer and they told me that the beer was solid and delicious, one of the top beers they tried all day but they must judge and score based on the style guidelines.

 

[bracconiere]

sounds tasty, too bad you can't just enter it as 'beer'.....

 

[deadwolfbones]

If it really is boozy/bourbony you could enter it as an Old Ale.

 

[Darthbrewder]

You could enter it as a specialty beer since you made your own specialty grains.

 

[seatazzz]

Not my first competition (actually third). I'm entering two other beers that I'm confident of the classes for, this one has me stumped though. Might just wait a few more days to see what carbonation does and give it another test.

 

[tommy1]

Barley wine

 

[Soulshine2]

I'm having one hell of a time trying to figure out what class to enter this little guy in. Recipe was 12lbs two row, 2lbs homemade crystal 100-120, and 1lb home roasted biscuit/toasty/something. Hops were 1oz Willamette at 60 and 1oz East kent Goldings at 15. Fermented at 64 on Nottingham yeast, ABV is 6%.

Yes I know it's silly to ask someone to classify a beer without tasting it, but I'll do my best to describe it. Very malt forward, not dark/roasty, with a nice caramel flavor, no burnt sugars. Slightly boozy but not like fusels, almost bourbon-y in flavor but not overpowering. Slight fruitiness that comes across as a mild tang in initial flavor. Aftertaste is dark, and lingers.

It's not completely carbed up yet so can't smell much, but it's malty. Entries have to be in by this next weekend. My initial goal was a British Brown or British mild, but after reading BJCP guidelines I'm thinking more along the lines of a Scottish export. I know it's not going to win anything but I don't want it disqualified for entering the wrong class. Any ideas? Going to take a sample to my LHBS and my brewpub boss this week for their opinions too.View attachment 613065

I just plugged your recipe /ingredients to the brew calc I use . It came out higher abv than you said ...given a 5 gallon batch and your exact grist ,hops and yeast, I got a 7.9% out of it (a bit high to the style )as a Weizenbock,closest style I could match it up to given your parameters. Yes, I realize you have no wheat in it. by gravities, srm and IBU thats what matched up .

 

[seatazzz]

I just plugged your recipe /ingredients to the brew calc I use . It came out higher abv than you said ...given a 5 gallon batch and your exact grist ,hops and yeast, I got a 7.9% out of it (a bit high to the style )as a Weizenbock,closest style I could match it up to given your parameters. Yes, I realize you have no wheat in it. by gravities, srm and IBU thats what matched up .

That's one style I didn't consider. Thanks! It's carbed up now and the flavor isn't quite as good. I might just not enter it.

 

[Home_alone1]

That's one style I didn't consider. Thanks! It's carbed up now and the flavor isn't quite as good. I might just not enter it.

Time to drink it then ! Party at your house !!!!!

 

[seatazzz]

Finally settled on American Brown Ale class. It's close enough, won't win anything but $8 is worth it for the scores.