What's the best style...

[Sidman]

for this beer?
I am entering a beer in the NHC for my first time and I brewed a very popular Irish red ale that everyone seems to love. I now realize that beer is outside of BJCP style guidelines for an Irish ale and I wonder if it makes sense to enter this in another category. IBU's, SRM and ABV are all on the high side:
IBU 36
SRM 21
ABV 6.4
Is there a better category to put this in or ride it out in 15A?

Thanks in advance for any advice you folks might have.

 

[BrewerBrad82]

Just by looking at the stats, that beer would fall nicely under BJCP category 17B - Old Ale.

 

[saltymirv]

You could try diluting it with water

 

[JKaranka]

I'd go for 17A: Strong Ale (have you tried Fullers' 1845 or similar?). I assume the yeast character is fairly clean and the malt comes across but is not very 'complex'. If you have esters, aged character, lots of dark fruit, etc., then I'd put it in 17B: Old Ale.

 

[Schemy]

Does it look, taste, and feel like an Irish Red? If so enter as an Irish red. I've entered beers that have fallen outside the BJCP guidelines and won medals. Enter what the beer drinks as, not what papers tell you it should be entered as.

 

[Sailingeric]

Does it look, taste, and feel like an Irish Red? If so enter as an Irish red. I've entered beers that have fallen outside the BJCP guidelines and won medals. Enter what the beer drinks as, not what papers tell you it should be entered as.

I did that with an american lager last year.. Did not win but good reviews and it was a bit hoppier and bit higher on the ABV than the guidelines calls for.

 

[Schemy]

See a lot in competitions. Guys will say this is what I brewed because that is what I set out to brew with my recipe, and it may fit better in another category. Or you'll see a beer that is clearly X style, yet they are trying to squeeze it into a different category. My advice is to always enter the beer as to what it drinks as.

If the OP's beer doesn't drink like an Irish Red, then yeah find a new category, but if it drinks as an Irish Red then enter as such.

 

[Sidman]

See a lot in competitions. Guys will say this is what I brewed because that is what I set out to brew with my recipe, and it may fit better in another category. Or you'll see a beer that is clearly X style, yet they are trying to squeeze it into a different category. My advice is to always enter the beer as to what it drinks as.

If the OP's beer doesn't drink like an Irish Red, then yeah find a new category, but if it drinks as an Irish Red then enter as such.

Thanks for the suggestions all. It does drink like a big red so I will enter it as such.

 

[Sidman]

See a lot in competitions. Guys will say this is what I brewed because that is what I set out to brew with my recipe, and it may fit better in another category. Or you'll see a beer that is clearly X style, yet they are trying to squeeze it into a different category. My advice is to always enter the beer as to what it drinks as.

If the OP's beer doesn't drink like an Irish Red, then yeah find a new category, but if it drinks as an Irish Red then enter as such.

Thanks for the advice. Medaled and on to the finals!!

 

[Schemy]

Thanks for the advice. Medaled and on to the finals!!

Congrats Sidman! Good luck in the next round.