BJCP style guidelines - how to read beer style guidelines
As you delve into the world of beer, sooner or later you will come across the abbreviation BJCP and mysterious numbers next to the styles: OG, FG, IBU, SRM, ABV. What does it all mean? BJCP, that is the Beer Judge Certification Program, is the most popular catalogue of beer styles in the world - a set of guidelines describing how each style should look, smell and taste, from pilsner to imperial stout. It is used at beer competitions all over the world as a common language. For an enthusiast it is a treasury of knowledge, but at first it can be intimidating. Here is a guide to the BJCP guidelines: what they are, how to read the numerical parameters and the sensory descriptions and - most importantly - why beer styles exist at all.
What BJCP is
BJCP stands for Beer Judge Certification Program - an American organisation that trains and certifies beer judges. Its most famous work is the Style Guidelines, that is the guidelines of beer styles, used at competitions all over the world. It is an extensive catalogue that describes every recognised beer style: how it should look, smell, taste and what parameters it has. BJCP updates the guidelines every few years (known versions are 2008, 2015 and 2021), adding new styles and ordering the categories. It is a kind of dictionary of the beer world. Understanding that BJCP is a catalogue of styles and a common language of judges is the starting point. It is a map of the whole world of beer styles. It is a tool, not a law. We cover the basic division of beer more in lagers and ales.
Why styles exist
Why divide beer into styles at all? Because styles are a common language. When you say pilsner, IPA or stout, everyone knows roughly what to expect - colour, bitterness, strength, aroma. Styles order the enormous diversity of beer into understandable categories, making choice, conversation and evaluation easier. At competitions they let judges assess beer against a template: whether it carries out the aims of its style well. Without styles, evaluation would be a chaos of subjective tastes. Styles are also a map for discovering beer - a signpost of what to try next. Understanding that styles exist as a common language and a point of reference gives meaning to the whole catalogue. It is order within diversity. It is the foundation of conscious beer drinking.
The structure of a style description
Every style in BJCP is described according to a fixed scheme, which makes comparisons easier. First comes the overall impression - a concise summary of the character of the beer. Then the sensory sections: aroma, appearance, flavour and mouthfeel - a detailed description of what to expect by nose, eye and palate. Next come comments, history and characteristic ingredients, giving context. At the end is the style comparison (how a given style differs from similar ones) and the numerical parameters. This fixed layout makes it easy to find the information you need in every style. Understanding the structure of the description lets you read the guidelines efficiently. It is an ordered portrait of every beer. It is a template worth knowing.
A table: five key parameters
Let us gather the numerical parameters in one place:
| Abbreviation | What it means | Tells you about |
|---|---|---|
| OG | original gravity | sugar before fermentation |
| FG | final gravity | sugar left, fullness |
| ABV | alcohol by volume | strength of the beer |
| IBU | bitterness units | level of hop bitterness |
| SRM | colour scale | colour, from pale to black |
The table shows the five numbers that define every style. They are what tells you what to expect in strength, bitterness and colour.
The numbers: OG and FG
The first two numbers are gravities. OG (original gravity) tells you how much sugar was in the wort before fermentation - the higher it is, the more material for alcohol and body. FG (final gravity) tells you how much sugar was left after fermentation - the higher it is, the fuller, sweeter the beer, the lower it is, the drier. The difference between OG and FG translates into the alcohol content. They are technical parameters, but they say a lot about the body and dryness of the beer. Understanding that OG and FG describe the sugar before and after fermentation lets you read these numbers with understanding. It is gravity turned into flavour. They are numbers about the body and sweetness of beer.
The numbers: ABV, IBU, SRM
The next three numbers are more intuitive. ABV (alcohol by volume) is simply the alcohol content in percent - the strength of the beer, from light 3 percent to strong barley wine over 10. IBU (international bitterness units) are the bitterness units - the higher they are, the more bitter the beer from the hops (a gentle lager has a dozen or so, a strong IPA over 60). SRM (standard reference method) is the colour scale - from very low for straw lagers to high for black stouts. These three numbers quickly tell you what to expect: how strong, how bitter, how dark. Understanding ABV, IBU and SRM gives an instant picture of the beer. They are three indicators of strength, bitterness and colour. It is a numerical portrait of the style.
How to read the guidelines wisely
The BJCP guidelines are easy to misunderstand, treating them as a rigid law. But they are a description, not a command. First, the parameters are ranges, not single values - a beer can be slightly outside them and still be good. Second, the guidelines describe the typical template of a style, not forbid creativity - craft breweries deliberately go beyond styles. Third, the sensory descriptions (aroma, flavour) matter most, not the numbers alone. Fourth, do not learn them by heart - use them as a point of reference. Understanding that BJCP is a guide, not a code, protects against rigidity. It is a map, not chains. It is a tool for understanding, not for judging people. We cover the IPA family as an example of a style more in the IPA family.
How to use them in practice
How can BJCP help an ordinary beer lover, not a judge? In a few ways. First, for learning - by reading the description of a style before a tasting, you know what to look for by nose and palate. Second, for discovery - the catalogue is a list of styles to try, a map of adventure. Third, for evaluating your own impressions - you compare whether a beer carries out its style. Fourth, if you brew at home, the guidelines are a recipe for the target character. You do not have to be a judge to use this knowledge. Understanding how to use BJCP in practice turns a dry catalogue into a living tool. It is a guide to the beer adventure. It is knowledge that deepens every sip.
Other style catalogues
BJCP is not the only catalogue of styles in the world, though it is the most popular. In the United States the Brewers Association guidelines exist in parallel, used among others at the prestigious World Beer Cup competition - they describe styles a little differently and with a different division. In Europe there are local systems and traditions of description. Interestingly, BJCP goes beyond beer: its guidelines also cover cider and mead, because the program certifies judges of those drinks too. It is worth knowing that there are several catalogues, so as not to treat one as the only truth - they are different maps of the same territory. Understanding that BJCP is one of several systems adds perspective. It is a reminder that styles are a convention, not an absolute. It is a broader picture of the world of drink classification.
The essentials in brief
Let us gather it up. BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) is the most popular catalogue of beer styles in the world, used at competitions as a common language. Styles exist to order the diversity of beer and to give a point of reference. Every style is described according to a fixed scheme: overall impression, aroma, appearance, flavour, mouthfeel, history, ingredients, comparison and parameters. The five key numbers are OG and FG (gravity before and after fermentation, that is body and dryness), ABV (strength), IBU (bitterness) and SRM (colour). Most importantly: the guidelines are a guide, not a rigid law - the parameters are ranges, and it is mainly the sensory descriptions that count. You can use them for learning, discovering and evaluating your own impressions. Now you know how to read beer style guidelines.
Note every beer in GustoNote - including its style and whether it carries out its template according to BJCP. In time you will learn to recognise styles and read their character with understanding yourself.