Beerwright
Open the studio

Styles · British Strong Ale

Beer style · BJCP 2021 17A

British Strong Ale

Strong British Ale

Representative The guidelines publish this style’s ranges per variant or not at all, so these are a representative envelope instead.

Original gravity
1.055–1.080
Final gravity
1.015–1.022
Bitterness
30–60 IBU
Color
8–22 SRM (16–43 EBC)
Alcohol
5.5–8.0 % ABV

What it is

A catch-all for strong, malt-driven British ales that are neither aged like an old ale nor as big as a barleywine. Expect rich caramel, toast and dark fruit, with bitterness present but always subordinate to malt.

Flavor

What a British Strong 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, earthy/woody or herbal.

Malt

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

Fermentation

Clean and fruity esters.

Hops that suit it

The traditional choice

What British Strong 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.

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 97 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.