American Ale beer styles

Do you know how an American Pale Ale and an English Pale Ale differ? How are an American Amber Ale and a Red Ale related? How do American Brown Ales and English Brown Ales differ? Read on to find out…

Previously we examined Scottish and Irish Ales, in this article we will cover BJCP Category 10, American Ale, which includes the following Beer Styles:

• 10a. American Pale Ale
• 10b. American Amber Ale
• 10c. American Brown Ale

First we will cover the history of the category, then take a look at the specifications of each style highlighting the similarities and differences. We then sample commercial examples of each style.

History

Originally American Pale Ales (APA’s) and American Brown Ales were hoppier versions of their English counterparts though since they have evolved into having higher alcohol contents as well. An APA is often lighter in color than an English Pale Ale (EPA) with less caramel character. These beers also tend to be brewed with a cleaner yeast than their English versions which means less esters and lead to a cleaner drink aroma and flavor wise.

American Amber Ales originated from the West Coast of the USA where the love for hops within the USA originated. Now Amber Ales are brewed and available countrywide and are sometimes known as Red Ales.

Overview

According to Jamil Zainasheff in his book, Brewing Classic Styles, this category was originally Americanized versions of the English Pale Ale and Northern English Brown Ale i.e. with more hops. Now this category has developed into beers that also tend to have a higher alcohol content and have been joined by Amber Ales. These beers should all be as follows:

• American Pale Ale – clean, fresh and hoppy with enough malt backbone to carry moderate hop character and bitterness.
• American Amber Ale – similar to an APA but with more body and caramel richness and a balance more towards malt than hops.
• American Brown Ale – bold and hoppy with lots of chocolate and some caramel flavors.

The following table* shows how the 3 styles of American Ale vary:

Characteristic	American Pale Ale	American Amber Ale	American Brown Ale
Original Gravity:	1.045 – 1.060	1.045 – 1.060	1.045 – 1.060
Final Gravity:	1.010 – 1.015	1.010 – 1.015	1.010 – 1.016
ABV (alcohol %):	4.5 – 6.2	4.5 – 6.2	4.3 – 6.2
IBU’s (bitterness):	30 – 45	25 – 40	20 – 40
SRM (color):	5 – 14	10 – 17	18 – 35

The above table shows that all three styles have very similar alcohol content plus starting and finishing gravities. Bitterness is also similar with American Pale Ale generally being hopped the most as you might expect. Color varies through the range with Pale Ales being the lighted, Brown Ales being the darkest and Amber Ales being in-between.

In the following sections we will look in more detail at each of the above Beer Styles.

American Pale Ale

Commercial examples of this style include Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Stone Pale Ale, Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale, Bear Republic XP Pale Ale, Anderson Valley Poleeko Gold Pale Ale, Deschutes Mirror Pond, Full Sail Pale Ale, Three Floyds X-Tra Pale Ale, Firestone Pale Ale, and Left Hand Brewing Jackman’s Pale Ale. We decided to sample Shiner Wild Hare Pale Ale and Tröegs Pale Ale.

Shiner Wild Hare Pale Ale has the following characteristics which is within style for alcohol content and bitterness:

• ABV = 5.5%
• IBU’s = 32

This beer is amber in color with a reasonable head that goes gradually. The aroma is of mild hops with a little maltiness. The flavor is hops and malt in balance with the maltiness lasting the longer of the two. The bitterness is low with moderate carbonation and some mouth-feel.

Tröegs Pale Ale has the following characteristics which is within style for alcohol content and at the top of the range for bitterness:

• ABV = 5.4%
• IBU’s = 45

This beer is golden in color with a reasonable head. The aroma and flavor are dominated by citrusy hops leaving a fresh and clean finish. There is little bitterness due to the malt balance. Carbonation is moderate with a thin mouth-feel.

Typical ingredients used when brewing this style include the following according to the BJCP Style Guidelines:

• Pale ale malted barley, typically American two-row.
• Specialty grains may add character and complexity, but generally make up a relatively small portion of the grist.
• Grains that add malt flavor and richness, light sweetness, and toasty or bready notes are often used (along with late hops) to differentiate brands.
• American hops, often but not always ones with a citrusy character.
• American ale yeast.
• Water can vary in sulfate content, but carbonate content should be relatively low.

American Amber Ale

Commercial examples of this style include North Coast Red Seal Ale, Tröegs HopBack Amber Ale, Deschutes Cinder Cone Red, Pyramid Broken Rake, St. Rogue Red Ale, Anderson Valley Boont Amber Ale, Lagunitas Censored Ale, Avery Redpoint Ale, McNeill’s Firehouse Amber Ale, Mendocino Red Tail Ale, and Bell’s Amber. We decided to sample Full Sail Amber and Otto’s Red Mo.

Full Sail Amber has the following characteristics which is within style for alcohol content and bitterness:

• ABV = 6.0%
• IBU’s = 31

This beer is dark amber in color with little head. The aroma is malty as is the flavor which is accompanied by some hop bitterness. The carbonation is moderate with good mouth-feel.

Otto’s Red Mo has the following characteristic which is within style for alcohol content:

• ABV = 5.0%

This beer is amber in color with a reasonable head that gradually goes. The aroma and flavor are hops and maltiness in balance. Carbonation is moderate with good mouth-feel.

Typical ingredients used when brewing this style include the following according to the BJCP Style Guidelines:

• Pale ale malted barley, typically American two-row.
• Medium to dark Crystal malted barley.
• May also contain specialty grains which add additional character and uniqueness.
• American hops, often with citrusy flavors, are common but others may also be used.
• Water can vary in sulfate and carbonate content.

American Brown Ale

Commercial examples of this style include Bell’s Best Brown, Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale, Big Sky Moose Drool Brown Ale, North Coast Acme Brown, Brooklyn Brown Ale, Lost Coast Downtown Brown, and Left Hand Deep Cover Brown Ale. We decided to sample Four Barrel Brown by Triton Brewing and Dark Horse Boffo Brown Ale.

Triton Four Barrel Brown has the following characteristics which is within style for alcohol content, bitterness and color:

• ABV = 5.2%
• IBU’s = 25
• SRM = 21

This beer is dark brown with a red hue for color and has a reasonable head that lasts. There is a slight hop note that accompanies the malty aroma. The flavor is nutty with balanced hop bitterness that lasts on the tongue. Carbonation is above average with a medium mouth-feel.

Dark Horse Boffo Brown Ale has the following characteristic which is a little high for alcohol content:

• ABV = 6.5% (max 6.2% for style)

This beer is dark brown in color with a head that goes quickly. This beer pours syrupy due to the alcohol content. The aroma is of caramel and toffee. The flavor has some hoppyness that is balanced with the malt. The carbonation is low with a good mouth-feel.

Typical ingredients used when brewing this style include the following according to the BJCP Style Guidelines:

• Well-modified Pale malted barley, either American or Continental, plus Crystal and darker malted barley should complete the malt bill.
• American hops are typical, but UK or noble hops can also be used.
• Moderate carbonate water would appropriately balance the dark malt acidity.

What next?

Our next article will look at BJCP Category 11, ‘English Brown Ale‘, where we will examine the three styles making up this category.

If you have any questions or comments about this article, please do not hesitate to contribute to the discussion below.

* Beer Styles’ data is courtesy of BJCP.org.