Judging a specialty beer when the brewer sets the brief

Why specialty categories are different

In most categories the style guidelines describe the target in full. A Munich helles has a fixed description. In specialty categories, such as fruit, spice, wood-aged, smoked and experimental beers, the guidelines set the framework but the brewer fills in the detail. The entry form asks for the base style, the special ingredient and sometimes a description of the intended result.

That description becomes part of the standard you judge against. Read it before you pour. If it says 'Belgian tripel with Alphonso mango', you are judging a tripel, a mango beer and how well the two combine.

Read the brief carefully

Note three things from the description:

• The base style, which sets expectations for strength, bitterness, colour and yeast character.
• The special ingredient, which should be noticeable.
• Any stated intent, such as 'subtle cardamom' or 'big smoke'.

If the brief is missing or vague, judge as best you can against the category and note on the sheet that a fuller description would help. Do not invent a target the brewer never claimed.

Judge the base beer first

A specialty beer is still a beer. If the base is badly made, no ingredient will rescue it. Check the base style the brewer named: is the tripel dry and highly attenuated, with spicy yeast character and a high but well-hidden alcohol? Is the stout roasty with appropriate body?

Look for the usual faults too. Colour and clarity first, as in our guide to judging colour and clarity, then head, as described in judging a beer's head, then aroma and flavour. Oils from spices, fruit and coffee can damage foam, so note it if the head collapses fast.

Is the special ingredient there?

The ingredient should be identifiable. If the brief says raspberry and you cannot find raspberry, the beer has missed its own target. If it says 'subtle', a gentle note is correct. A strong one is a miss in the other direction.

Be honest about your own palate. Some spices are hard to identify blind. If you sense something spicy but cannot name it, say so rather than guess. Describe what you perceive and whether it matches the stated ingredient.

Is it in balance?

The hardest question is balance. The ingredient should work with the base, not bury it or sit on top of it. A cherry stout where the cherry tastes like cough syrup and the roast has disappeared is out of balance. A chilli beer where the heat overwhelms everything else may be technically present but not pleasant.

Ask whether each element supports the other. Does the mango's sweetness suit the tripel's dryness, or does it make the beer cloying? Does the smoke complement the malt? A great specialty beer tastes as though it was designed as one beer, not assembled from two.

Indian ingredients and judging

Indian brewers increasingly use local ingredients: Alphonso mango, kokum, jaggery, tender coconut, black pepper, cardamom, curry leaf and coffee from Chikmagalur. Judges unfamiliar with an ingredient should taste the real thing beforehand if possible.

Jaggery is a good example. It is mostly fermentable sugar, so it adds alcohol and dryness more than flavour, with a light caramel note. A judge expecting a strong jaggery flavour may think the beer missed. A judge who knows the ingredient will look for the subtle effect it actually has.

Common specialty faults to look for

Specialty beers fail in a few predictable ways:

• Artificial flavour: fruit that tastes like a sweet or a soft drink rather than real fruit, often from extracts.
• Vegetal or stewed notes: fruit or vegetables added too early or cooked too long can taste jammy, cooked or green.
• Harsh spice: whole spices left in too long turn bitter or medicinal. Clove, cinnamon and ginger are common culprits.
• Infection: fruit carries wild yeast and bacteria. A sour or funky note in a beer not meant to be sour is a red flag.
• Overcarbonation: fruit sugar that keeps fermenting in the bottle can produce gushing bottles.

Name each fault you find and link it to a likely cause. A brewer working with mango or kokum for the first time will value a note on when and how much to add as much as the score itself.

Write the brewer a useful sheet

Specialty entrants especially need detailed feedback, because they are designing something new. Comment on the base, the ingredient and the balance separately. Suggest specific changes: 'Mango is clear but the tripel character is lost; consider adding fruit later or reducing the amount so the yeast spice comes through.' Our guide on judging hazy IPA fairly shows the same approach for another modern style.

Your first step: buy a commercial fruit or spice beer, write a one-line brief for it yourself, then judge it against that brief. Separate what you thought of the base, the ingredient and the balance.

Common questions

How do judges score a specialty beer?

Against the brewer's description: the base style, the special ingredient and how well they combine.

What if the special ingredient is not noticeable?

If the brief promises it and you cannot detect it, the beer has missed its target. Say so clearly on the sheet.

Should judges judge the base beer?

Yes. A specialty beer must still be a good example of its base style, free of common faults.

What if the entry has no description?

Judge against the category as best you can and note that a clearer description would help.