Categories

Homebrew Competition categories:

Note – Standard & Strong bitters/Pales have been split into two categories, but may be condensed into one depending on entry numbers.

For any queries please email brewing@isaaclord.org

British Dark beers upto 4.4%

• Embraces the following styles: Dark Mild, Stout, Dark Bitter, Porter and Brown Ale.
• Includes beers that are typically without assertive hop bitterness
• Must be no stronger than 4.4% ABV
• An old ale of a lighter colour may be entered in either this category or the appropriate-strength Bitter
  category, at the discretion of the brewer
• Must not contain any “speciality” ingredient at a level as defined in the Speciality Beers category

British Dark Beers 4.5% – 6.5%

• Embraces the following styles: Dark Mild, Stout, Dark Bitter, Porters, Old Ale, Barley Wine and Brown
  Ale
• Includes beers that are typically without assertive hop bitterness
• Must be between 4.5 – 6.4% ABV
• Stouts, Porters, Strong Brown and Old Ales of 6.5% ABV and above should be entered into the
  Premium Strong Beers category
• Must not contain any “speciality” ingredient at a level as defined in the Speciality Beers category

Standard Bitters

• Includes Bitters, Blonde ales, Golden Ales, Pale Ales and Light Milds that are no stronger than 4.4%
• Embraces a range of colours, from deep bronze and copper to amber, golden and straw.
• These beers can have medium levels of bitterness and a range of hop characteristics but the overall impression must be that of a balance of flavours without harshness.
• Must not contain any “speciality” ingredient at a level as defined in the Speciality Beers category
• Does not cover Black Bitters, these are to be entered into the British Dark Beers up to 4.4%

Standard Pales

• Includes Blonde, Golden, IPA, American Pale Ales, American IPA, New Zealand Pale Ale etc upto 4.4%
• Embraces a range of colours, from deep bronze and copper to amber, and golden.
• These beers can have high levels of bitterness and a range of hop characteristics with a dry finish. The
  beer must be hop forward with the hop character to be noticed.
• Must not contain any “speciality” ingredient at a level as defined in the Speciality Beers category

Strong Pale Ales

• Includes Blonde, Golden, IPA, American Pale Ales, American IPA, New Zealand Pale Ale etc upto 4.4%
• Strong Pale Ales over 6.5% should be entered into the Premium Strong Beer category.
• Embraces a range of colours, from deep bronze and copper to amber, and golden.
• These beers can have high levels of bitterness and a range of hop characteristics with a dry finish. The
  beer must be hop forward with the hop character to be noticed.
• Must not contain any “speciality” ingredient at a level as defined in the Speciality Beers category

Strong Bitters

• Includes Bitters, Blonde ales, Golden Ales, Pale Ales and Premium Bitters that are between 4.5 – 6.4%
  ABV
• Embraces a range of colours, from deep bronze and copper to amber, golden and straw.
• These beers can have medium levels of bitterness and a range of hop characteristics but the overall impression must be that of a balance of flavours without harshness.
• Must not contain any “speciality” ingredient at a level as defined in the Speciality Beers category
•  Does not cover Black Bitters, these are to be entered into the British Dark Beers 4.5 – 6.4%

Lagers & Pilsners

• Includes Light Lagers, Pilsners, Helles and Kolsch that are up to 6.5% ABV
• Range of colours from pale yellow/straw to light gold
• Must not contain any “speciality” ingredient at a level as defined in the Speciality Beers category

Strong Beers 6.5% +

• Includes Old Ales, Strong Ales, Barley Wines, Imperial Stouts, Strong Brown Ales, Strong Golden Beer
  and Strong Lagers that are 6.5% ABV and above.
• Embraces all styles and colours of strong beer and strong lager that are 6.5% ABV and above,
  including (but not limited to) Barley Wines (UK & US styles), Imperial & Export Stouts, Strong Ales,
  Strong Old Ales, Baltic Porters and Winter Warmers and all styles of strong lager. Style to be
  declared at time of entry.
• These beers can have medium to high levels of bitterness and a range of hop characteristics but the
  overall impression must be that of a balance of flavours without harshness.
• Must not contain any “speciality” ingredient at a level as defined in the Speciality Beers category

Speciality Beers Light

Embraces all styles of beer that are light in colour contain a non-core brewing ingredient at a level intended to impart a distinctive and discernible flavour note or character. Ingredients may include: Spice / Herb / Honey / Coffee / Chocolate / Gluten Free* / Fruit / Vegetable / Wood Aged / Smoked (>20%) / Rye (Malted or raw >20%) / Nuts / Wheat (>20% malted or raw & made with wheat beer yeast) and others as per the  imagination of the Brewer.

N.B. ANY ALLERGENS, INCLUDING CEREALS CONTAINING GLUTEN, MUST BE DECLARED AT TIME OF ENTRY

• Category excludes: American style black ales, multigrain and organic beers which should be entered in the appropriate Bitter & Pale Ale category for ABV content.
• The use of a non-typical yeast is not warranted as being enough for entry into this category.
• *Gluten Free beers can be entered in the speciality category if they are produced from gluten free cereals/grains such as sorghum, rice and millet. If an external enzyme (i.e. Brewer’s Clarex) or deglutinated barley is the main malt used then the beer should be entered into the relevant non speciality category; if de-glutinated wheat is the significant malt used, then they may be entered in the speciality category as a wheat beer.
• Core brewing ingredients include barley malt and malt extract, hops and hop oils, caramel, brewing sugars, brewer’s yeast, water and brewing salts, and fining agents
• Non-barley-malt grain adjuncts can count as a core ingredient, at the discretion of the brewer, if used at low levels (typically no more than 10% of the grist)
• A beer containing a non-core ingredient as defined above must be entered in this category and may not be entered in any other category.
• Entry forms will include space for a note explaining the speciality qualification of the beer, which can then be communicated to the judges.

Speciality Beers Mid-Dark

Embraces all styles of beer that are medium to dark in colour contain a non-core brewing ingredient at a level intended to impart a distinctive and discernible flavour note or character. Ingredients may include: Spice / Herb / Honey / Coffee / Chocolate / Gluten Free* / Fruit / Vegetable / Wood Aged / Smoked (>20%) / Rye (Malted or raw >20%) / Nuts / Wheat (>20% malted or raw & made with wheat beer yeast) and others as per the  imagination of the Brewer.

N.B. ANY ALLERGENS, INCLUDING CEREALS CONTAINING GLUTEN, MUST BE DECLARED AT TIME OF ENTRY

• Category excludes: American style black ales, multigrain and organic beers which should be entered in the appropriate Bitter & Pale Ale category for ABV content.
• The use of a non-typical yeast is not warranted as being enough for entry into this category.
• *Gluten Free beers can be entered in the speciality category if they are produced from gluten free cereals/grains such as sorghum, rice and millet. If an external enzyme (i.e. Brewer’s Clarex) or deglutinated barley is the main malt used then the beer should be entered into the relevant non speciality category; if de-glutinated wheat is the significant malt used, then they may be entered in the speciality category as a wheat beer.
• Core brewing ingredients include barley malt and malt extract, hops and hop oils, caramel, brewing sugars, brewer’s yeast, water and brewing salts, and fining agents
• Non-barley-malt grain adjuncts can count as a core ingredient, at the discretion of the brewer, if used at low levels (typically no more than 10% of the grist)
• A beer containing a non-core ingredient as defined above must be entered in this category and may not be entered in any other category.
• Entry forms will include space for a note explaining the speciality qualification of the beer, which can then be communicated to the judges.