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Styles · British Golden Ale

Beer style · BJCP 2021 12A

British Golden Ale

Pale Commonwealth Beer

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

Original gravity
1.038–1.053
Final gravity
1.006–1.012
Bitterness
20–45 IBU
Color
2–6 SRM (4–12 EBC)
Alcohol
3.8–5.0 % ABV

What it is

Britain's answer to lager: pale, dry and hop-forward, brewed for summer and served cold. Malt is a clean backdrop while English and newer hop varieties supply citrus and floral notes over a crisp bitter finish. Expect less malt and more hop aroma than a bitter of the same strength.

Flavor

What a British Golden 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

Floral, with room for citrus, earthy/woody, tropical, herbal or spice.

Malt

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

Fermentation

Clean, with room for fruity esters.

Hops that suit it

The traditional choice

What British Golden 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 53 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.