Understanding the BJCP Style Guidelines

The Reference Standard

The Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) maintains the most comprehensive beer style guide in the world. It classifies beers into 34 major categories with over 100 sub-styles, each defined by appearance, aroma, flavor, mouthfeel, history, and vital statistics.

Purpose

The BJCP guidelines serve two primary purposes: providing a common vocabulary for describing beer styles, and establishing evaluation criteria for beer competitions. They are descriptive (what the style is) rather than prescriptive (what it must be).

How to Read an Entry

Each style entry includes:

Overall Impression — a one-paragraph summary of the style's essential character.

Appearance — expected color (SRM), clarity, head characteristics.

Aroma — expected malt, hop, yeast, and fermentation aromas with intensity descriptors.

Flavor — malt, hop, yeast, bitterness, sweetness, and finish characteristics.

Mouthfeel — body, carbonation, alcohol warmth, astringency, creaminess.

History — origin, evolution, and cultural context.

Vital Statistics — IBU, SRM, OG, FG, and ABV ranges that define the style parameters.

Commercial Examples — benchmark beers that exemplify the style.

Categories and Sub-Styles

Categories group related styles. For example, Category 1 (Standard American Beer) includes American Light Lager, American Lager, Cream Ale, and American Wheat Beer. Category 21 (IPA) includes English IPA, American IPA, Specialty IPA, and its many sub-styles.

Some categories group by ingredient (wheat beers), some by geography (Belgian ales), and some by strength (strong ales).

Using the Guide for Brewing

When designing a recipe, start with the BJCP entry for your target style. Use the vital statistics as targets: aim for an OG, IBU, SRM, and ABV within the listed ranges. Read the flavor and aroma descriptions to understand what judges and drinkers expect.

You do not have to brew strictly to the guidelines. They are starting points, not rigid rules. Many outstanding beers exist outside of formal categories.

Using the Guide for Judging

BJCP-certified judges evaluate beer against the style entry. Scores range from 0-50 points across six categories: Aroma (12), Appearance (3), Flavor (20), Mouthfeel (5), Overall Impression (10).

A score of 30+ is considered good. 38+ is excellent. 45+ is outstanding and extremely rare.

Style Evolution

The guidelines are updated periodically. The current 2021 edition reflects the rapid evolution of craft beer — it added categories for New England IPA, Cold IPA, and other modern styles. Future updates will continue to capture emerging trends.

Common Misconceptions

The guidelines do not define what beer should be — they describe what existing styles are. Brewing outside the guidelines is not wrong; it simply means the beer may not fit neatly into a competition category. Many of the best beers in the world defy classification.