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Styles · American Amber Ale

Beer style · BJCP 2021 19A

American Amber Ale

Amber and Brown American Beer

Published ranges These are the ranges the BJCP 2021 guidelines publish for this style.

Original gravity
1.045–1.060
Final gravity
1.010–1.015
Bitterness
25–40 IBU
Color
10–17 SRM (20–33 EBC)
Alcohol
4.5–6.2 % ABV

What it is

Essentially an American pale ale given a caramel-malt backbone, so hop character shares the stage instead of owning it. Medium body, amber color and an even balance that holds up to food.

Flavor

What a American Amber Ale should taste like, on the three wheels the studio scores every recipe against. The shaded ring is the style’s range on each axis, from 0 at the center to 5 at the edge.

Hops

Citrus, with room for tropical, floral, resin/pine, herbal, spice or earthy/woody.

Malt

Grainy and caramel, with room for bready/biscuit, toasty, sweet/honey or dark fruit.

Fermentation

Clean, with room for fruity esters.

Hops that suit it

The traditional choice

What American Amber Ale has classically been brewed with.

Also right on character

Varieties whose loudest notes all sit on this style’s hop wheel, best fit first. How much to use is the recipe’s question; these are the ones that taste right.

And 94 more hops whose character fits. These are the 24 that fit best.

Yeasts that suit it

Strains the lab made for beers like this one, whose fermentation character sits inside the style’s wheel. A strain sold by several labs is listed once; its page names the others.

And 33 more yeasts whose character fits. These are the 24 that fit best.

Style numbers, names and vital statistics are from the BJCP 2021 Beer Style Guidelines, where you will find the official descriptions. The descriptions and flavor wheels here are Beerwright’s own. Beerwright is not affiliated with or endorsed by the BJCP.