Malt aroma & flavor
Toast and caramel malt aroma and flavor may be present. Astringency from highly roasted malt should not be present.
Other Origin Ale Styles
Adambier
Ale · Light brown to very dark
What to expect
Toast and caramel malt aroma and flavor may be present.
Reading guide · The complete guideline attributes below preserve the source’s qualifications.Color · SRM
15–35
Pale / strawBlack
Light brown to very dark · Illustrative colors on the shared, uneven SRM scale.
Explore styles overlapping this color rangeAlcohol · ABV
9.0–11.0%
Reference scale, not a limit on official guideline values.
Bitterness · IBU
30–50
Measured bitterness; perceived bitterness is described in the guideline below.
Brewers Association 2026 · Printed guideline page 30 · PDF page 39. Color graphics are illustrative.
The guideline, in detail
Official style attributes, including what may be present and what should be absent.
Hop aroma & flavor
Low, with attributes typical of traditional non-hybrid European hop varieties.
Perceived bitterness
Low to medium
Body & mouthfeel
Medium to full
Clarity
Beer color may be too dark to perceive clarity. When clarity is perceivable, chill haze is absent.
Color
Light brown to very dark
Fermentation characteristics
A cool ale fermentation is typically used. Extensive aging and acidification can mask malt and hop character to varying degrees. Aging in barrels may contribute some level of Brettanomyces and lactic character.
Additional guideline notes & competition context
The style originated in Dortmund and is a strong, dark, hoppy ale which may or may not be sour. It may also be extensively aged in wooden barrels. Traditional versions may have a low or medium-low degree of smokiness. Adambier may or may not use wheat in its formulation. Smoke character may be absent in contemporary versions. Fruited versions of this style which exhibit attributes of wood-aging should be categorized as fruited Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beers. Fruited versions of this style which do not exhibit attributes of wood-aging should be categorized as Fruit Wheat Beers.
Technical specifications, including gravity
Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.070-1.090 (17.1-21.6 °Plato) • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) 1.010-1.020 (2.6-5.1 °Plato) • Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 7.1%-8.7% (9.0%-11.0%) • Hop Bitterness (IBU) 30-50 • Color SRM (EBC) 15-35 (30-70 EBC)