Acceptable Characteristics in Different Beer Styles This is a simple listing of whether certain sensory characteristics, such as acetaldehyde or diacetyl, are acceptable in certain beer styles tested on the BJCP exam. Note that it doesn’t list maximum permissible levels, whether the listed characteristic is expected or optional or whether it is acceptable in both aroma and flavor. It also doesn’t describe the exact character of some traits. C at S ub 1 A 1 B 1 C 1 D 1 E 2 A 2 B 2 C 3 3 A B 4 A 4 B 4 C 5 A 5 B 5 5 C D Style Light American Lager Standard American lager Premium American Lager Munich Helles Dortmunder Export German Pils Bohemian Pilsner Classic American Pilsner Vienna Lager Oktoberfest Dark American Lager Munich Dunkel Schwarzbier (Black Beer) Maibock/ Helles Bock Traditional Bock Doppelbock Eisbock Acetald ehyde Alco hol Astring ency Bisc uit Bre ady Cara mel Chocolate/ Cocoa Cof fee Diac etyl Est DMS ery X X X X X X X X X Grai ny Nutt Sulf y ury Spic Roas Smo e t ke Toas t X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 6 6 6 A B C 6 D 7 A 7 B 7 C 8 A 8 B 8 C 9 A 9 B 9 C 9 D 9 E 10 A 10 B 10 C 11 A 11 B 11 C Cream Ale Blonde Ale Kölsch American Wheat or Rye Northern German Altbier California Common Beer Düsseldorf Altbier Standard/ Ordinary Bitter Special/Best/ Premium Bitter Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale) Scottish Light 60/Scottish Heavy 70/Scottish Export 80/Irish Red Ale Strong Scotch Ale American Pale Ale American Amber Ale American Brown Ale Mild Southern English Brown Northern English Brown X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 12 12 12 13 13 14 A B C A B C 13 D 13 E 13 F 14 14 13 A B C 15 A 15 15 B C 15 D 16 A 16 B 16 C 16 D 17 A 17 B 17 C 17 D 17 17 E F Ale Brown Porter Robust Porter Baltic Porter Dry Stout Sweet Stout Imperial IPA Foreign Extra Stout American Stout Russian Imperial Stout English IPA American IPA Oatmeal Stout Weizen/ Weissbier Dunkelweizen Weizenbock Roggenbier (German Rye Beer) Witbier Belgian Pale Ale Saison Bière de Garde Berliner Weisse Flanders Red Ale Flanders Brown Ale/Oud Bruin Straight (Unblended) Lambic Gueuze Fruit Lambic X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 18 A 18 B 18 C 18 D 18 E 19 A 19 B 19 C 22 A Belgian Blond Ale Belgian Dubbel Belgian Tripel Belgian Golden Strong Ale Belgian Dark Strong Ale Old Ale English Barleywine American Barleywine Classic Rauchbier X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X