Beer Styles

The 2012 Great American Beer Festival judged 84 different beer categories based on parameters unique to each beer style.  Judges evaluate the beers in each category based on those parameters and award medals accordingly.  Below is the list of 2012 judging categories.

2012 GABF Style Descriptions

To learn more about beer styles in general, check out the Style Finder at CraftBeer.com.

Hybrid/Mixed Styles

  1. American-Style Wheat Beer
    1. Subcategory: Light American Wheat Ale or Lager without Yeast
    2. Subcategory: Dark American Wheat Ale or Lager without Yeast
  2. American-Style Wheat Beer With Yeast
    1. Subcategory: Light American Wheat Ale or Lager with Yeast
    2. Subcategory: Dark American Wheat Ale or Lager with Yeast
  3. Fruit Beer
  4. Fruit Wheat Beer
  5. Field Beer or Pumpkin Beer
    1. Subcategory: Field Beer
    2. Subcategory: Pumpkin Beer
  6. Herb and Spice Beer
  7. Chocolate Beer
  8. Coffee Beer
  9. Specialty Beer
  10. Rye Beer
    1. Subcategory: Rye Ale or Lager with or without Yeast
    2. Subcategory: German-Style Rye Ale with or without Yeast
  11. Specialty Honey Beer
  12. Session Beer
  13. Other Strong Beer
    1. Subcategory: Other Strong Ale or Lager
    2. Subcategory: American-Style Imperial Porter
    3. Subcategory: American-Style Wheat Wine Ale
  14. Experimental Beer
  15. Fresh Hop Ale
  16. Indigenous Beer
  17. Gluten-Free Beer
  18. American-Belgo-Style Ale
    1. Subcategory: Pale American-Belgo-Style Ale
    2. Subcategory: Dark American-Belgo-Style Ale
  19. American-Style Sour Ale
    1. Subcategory: American-Style Sour Ale
    2. Subcategory: Fruited American-Style Sour Ale
  20. American-Style Brett Ale
  21. Wood- and Barrel-Aged Beer
    1. Subcategory: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Pale to Amber Beer
    2. Subcategory: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Dark Beer
  22. Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Beer
  23. Wood- and Barrel-Aged Strong Stout
  24. Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer
    1. Subcategory: Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer
    2. Subcategory: Fruited Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer
  25. Aged Beer
  26. Kellerbier or Zwickelbier
    1. Subcategory: Unfiltered German-Style Lager
    2. Subcategory: Unfiltered German-Style Ale
  27. Smoke Beer
    1. Subcategory: Bamberg-Style Rauchbier
    2. Subcategory: Smoke Porter
    3. Subcategory: Other Smoke Beer

Lager Beer Styles

  1. American-Style or International-Style Pilsener
    1. Subcategory: American-Style Pilsener
    2. Subcategory: International-Style Pilsener
  2. German-Style Pilsener
  3. Bohemian-Style Pilsener
  4. Munich-Style Helles
  5. Dortmunder or German-Style Oktoberfest
    1. Subcategory: Dortmunder/European-Style Export
    2. Subcategory: German-Style Oktoberfest/Wiesen
  6. American-Style Lager, Light Lager or Premium Lager
    1. Subcategory: American-Style Light (Low Calorie) Lager
    2. Subcategory: American-Style Low-Carbohydrate Light Lager
    3. Subcategory: American-Style Lager
    4. Subcategory: American-Style Premium Lager
  7. American-Style Specialty Lager or Cream Ale or Lager
    1. Subcategory: American-Style Ice Lager
    2. Subcategory: American-Style Malt Liquor
    3. Subcategory: American-Style Cream Ale or Lager
  8. Vienna-Style Lager
  9. German-Style Märzen
  10. American-Style Amber Lager
    1. Subcategory: American-Style Amber Lager
    2. Subcategory: California Common Beer
    3. Subcategory: American–Style Märzen/Oktoberfest
  11. European-Style Dunkel
  12. American-Style Dark Lager
  13. German-Style Schwarzbier
  14. Bock
    1. Subcategory: Traditional German-Style Bock
    2. Subcategory: German-Style Heller Bock/Maibock
  15. German-Style Doppelbock or Eisbock
    1. Subcategory: German-Style Doppelbock
    2. Subcategory: German-Style Eisbock
  16. Baltic-Style Porter

Ale Beer Styles

  1. Golden or Blonde Ale
  2. German-Style Kölsch
  3. English-Style Summer Ale
  4. Classic English-Style Pale Ale
  5. English-Style India Pale Ale
  6. International-Style Pale Ale
  7. American-Style Pale Ale
  8. American-Style Strong Pale Ale
  9. American-Style India Pale Ale
  10. Imperial India Pale Ale
  11. American-Style Amber/Red Ale
  12. Imperial Red Ale
  13. English-Style Mild Ale
    1. Subcategory: English-Style Pale Mild Ale
    2. Subcategory: English-Style Dark Mild Ale
  14. Ordinary or Special Bitter
    1. Subcategory: Ordinary Bitter
    2. Subcategory: Special Bitter or Best Bitter
  15. Extra Special Bitter
    1. Subcategory: English-Style Extra Special Bitter
    2. Subcategory: American-Style Extra Special Bitter
  16. Scottish-Style Ale
    1. Subcategory: Scottish-Style Light Ale
    2. Subcategory: Scottish-Style Heavy Ale
    3. Subcategory: Scottish-Style Export Ale
  17. Irish-Style Red Ale
  18. English-Style Brown Ale
  19. American-Style Brown Ale
  20. American-Style Black Ale
  21. German-Style Altbier
  22. German-Style Sour Ale
    1. Subcategory: Berliner-Style Weisse
    2. Subcategory: Leipzig-Style Gose
  23. South German-Style Hefeweizen
  24. German-Style Wheat Ale
    1. Subcategory: South German-Style Kristal Weizen
    2. Subcategory: German-Style Leichtes Weizen
    3. Subcategory: South German-Style Bernsteinfarbenes Weizen
    4. Subcategory: South German-Style Dunkel Weizen
    5. Subcategory: South German-Style Weizenbock
  25. Belgian-Style Witbier
  26. French- and Belgian-Style Saison
  27. Belgian and French-Style Ale
    1. Subcategory: Belgian-Style Blonde Ale
    2. Subcategory: Belgian-Style Pale Ale
    3. Subcategory: French-Style Bière de Garde
    4. Subcategory: Other Belgian- and French-Style Ale
  28. Belgian-Style Lambic or Sour Ale
    1. Subcategory: Belgian-Style Lambic
    2. Subcategory: Belgian-Style Gueuze Lambic
    3. Subcategory: Belgian-Style Fruit Lambic
    4. Subcategory: Belgian-Style Flanders Oud Bruin or Oud Red Ale
    5. Subcategory: Other Belgian-Style Sour Ale
  29. Belgian-Style Abbey Ale
    1. Subcategory: Belgian-Style Dubbel
    2. Subcategory: Belgian-Style Tripel
    3. Subcategory: Belgian-Style Quadrupel
    4. Subcategory: Other Belgian-Style Abbey Ale
  30. Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale
    1. Subcategory: Belgian-Style Pale Strong Ale
    2. Subcategory: Belgian-Style Dark Strong Ale
    3. Subcategory: Other Belgian-Style Strong Specialty Ale
  31. Brown Porter
  32. Robust Porter
  33. Classic Irish-Style Dry Stout
  34. Foreign-Style Stout
  35. American-Style Stout
  36. Sweet Stout
  37. Oatmeal Stout
  38. Imperial Stout
    1. Subcategory: British-Style Imperial Stout
    2. Subcategory: American-Style Imperial Stout
  39. Scotch Ale
    1. Subcategory: Traditional Scotch Ale
    2. Subcategory: Peated Scotch Ale
  40. Old Ale or Strong Ale
    1. Subcategory: Old Ale
    2. Subcategory: Strong Ale
  41. Barley Wine-Style Ale
    1. Subcategory: British-Style Barley Wine Ale
    2. Subcategory: American-Style Barley Wine Ale