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Styles · Belgian Blond Ale

Beer style · BJCP 2021 25A

Belgian Blond Ale

Strong Belgian Ale

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

Original gravity
1.062–1.075
Final gravity
1.008–1.018
Bitterness
15–30 IBU
Color
4–7 SRM (8–14 EBC)
Alcohol
6.0–7.5 % ABV

What it is

Golden, sweetish and approachable, with light honeyish malt, soft pear-and-pepper yeast character and a moderate alcohol warmth. It is the gentlest of the strong blond Belgians — rounder and less aggressive than a tripel, and nowhere near as dry as a golden strong ale.

Flavor

What a Belgian Blond 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

Room for floral, herbal or spice.

Malt

Grainy and sweet/honey, with room for bready/biscuit.

Fermentation

Fruity esters, with room for pepper/spice, clean or clove.

Hops that suit it

The traditional choice

What Belgian Blond 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 3 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.

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.