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Styles · American Pale Ale

Beer style · BJCP 2021 18B

American Pale Ale

Pale American Ale

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
30–50 IBU
Color
5–10 SRM (10–20 EBC)
Alcohol
4.5–6.2 % ABV

What it is

A moderate-strength pale ale that puts American hop aroma — citrus, pine, stone fruit, resin — over a clean malt base without tipping into IPA intensity. Bitterness is firm, the finish dry, and drinkability is the design goal.

Flavor

What a American Pale 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, stone fruit, berry, herbal, spice or earthy/woody.

Malt

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

Fermentation

Clean, with room for fruity esters.

Hops that suit it

The traditional choice

What American Pale 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 181 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.