American Ales: American Wheat Ale
Can be made with either ale or lager yeast. Brewed with 30 to 75 % malted wheat, and hop rates may be low to medium.Fruity-estery aroma and flavor are typical but at low levels, however, phenolic, clove-like characteristics should not be perceived.The character should portray a full yeasty mouthfeel and appear hazy to cloudy. Yeast flavor/aroma should be low to medium but not overpowering the balance and character of malt and hops.
Notes: These beers can be fermented with either ale or lager yeast. The grist should include at least 30 percent malted wheat. Versions served with yeast may exhibit somewhat higher perceived bitterness and fuller mouthfeel. When using these guidelines as the basis for evaluating entries at competitions, organizers may wish to further subcategorize this category based on the presence or absence of yeast, use of darker malts, etc.
- Color: Straw to dark brown
- Clarity: Clear to cloudy
- Malt Profile: Low to medium-low level pale malt attributes are present in paler versions. Medium-low to medium-high malt attributes such as cocoa, chocolate, caramel, toffee or biscuit may be present in darker versions. Roast malt astringency is acceptable in darker versions when balanced with malt sweetness.
- Hop Profile: Low to medium-high
- Bitterness: Low to medium
- Fermentation: Low to medium fruity esters are present. Diacetyl and phenolic, clove-like attributes should not be present. Low to medium yeast character is present in versions served with yeast, in harmony with malt and hop attributes and not sharp.
- Body: Very low to medium
- ABV: 3.5%-5.6%
- ABW: 2.8%-4.4%
- IBU: 10-35
- Color (SRM): 2-10
- Color (EBC): 4-20
- Original Gravity: 1.036-1.056
- Original Gravity °P: 9-13.8
- Final Gravity: 1.004-1.016
- Final Gravity °P: 1-4.1
Style info provided entirely or in part by the Brewers Association 2021 beer style guidelines.
- 9.46 Hazy Days by Willoughby Brewing Company
- 8.76 80 Acre by Boulevard Brewing Company
- 8.64 Schlafly No. 15 by The Saint Louis Brewery - Schlafly
- 8.54 DreamWeaver Wheat Ale by Tröegs Brewing Company
- 8.50 Gumball Head by Three Floyds Brewing Company
- 8.34 Shimmy Shimmy Ya by Mikerphone Brewing
- 8.30 Solace by Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
- 8.18 Archangel Summer Wheat by North Peak Brewing Company