The Beer Judge Certification Program, or BJCP, works to categorize the world’s beer styles so that homebrewers can submit their brews for feedback on how well they hit the targets. These same beer style guidelines have become widely accepted as the go-to style authority because they are specific and also give us a way to communicate about beer. However, defining these styles is quite a challenge due to natural variation within a style. Even more, some styles pose another challenge because they are really similar and are differentiated only by geography, culture, or slight nuance. My next guest returns to the Good Beer Matters Podcast from episode 6 where he taught us how to be a better taster. In this episode, we discuss what we can learn from the BJCP and how to discern the difference between very similar styles.
Beer styles exist to help us communicate about beer with specificity. They also provide us clear targets to shoot for when brewing. While a basic understanding of the styles is mandatory in the beer industry, a more advanced appreciation will give us authority and help us do our jobs more effectively. Luckily, studying never tasted so good.
Show Links
Poseidon Brewing Co. Ventura, CA