Malt aroma & flavor
Typically low. Perception of specialty or roasted malts or barley can be very low to robust in darker versions.
North American Origin Ale Styles
American-Belgo-Style Ale
Ale · Gold to black
What to expect
Malt character: Typically low. Hop character: Medium to very high, exhibiting American-type hop aromas not usually found in traditional Belgian styles.
Reading guide · The complete guideline attributes below preserve the source’s qualifications.Color · SRM
Varies with style
Varies with style. No numeric color range is assigned.
Pale / strawBlack
Gold to black · Illustrative colors on the shared, uneven SRM scale.
Return to color discoveryAlcohol · ABV
Varies with style
No numeric range is specified.
Bitterness · IBU
Varies with style
No numeric range is specified.
Brewers Association 2026 · Printed guideline page 12 · PDF page 21. Color graphics are illustrative.
The guideline, in detail
Official style attributes, including what may be present and what should be absent.
Hop aroma & flavor
Medium to very high, exhibiting American-type hop aromas not usually found in traditional Belgian styles.
Perceived bitterness
Medium to high, in alignment with base beer style.
Body & mouthfeel
Medium-low to medium, in alignment with base beer style.
Clarity
Should conform the base beer style
Color
Gold to black
Fermentation characteristics
Fruity esters are medium to high. Belgian yeast attributes such as banana, berry, apple, coriander, spice or smoky-phenolic should be in balance with malt and hops. Diacetyl, sulfur, and attributes typical of Brettanomyces should not be present.
Additional guideline notes & competition context
American-Belgo-Style Ales are either 1) non-Belgian beer types portraying the unique characters imparted by yeasts typically used in big, fruity Belgian-style ales, or 2) defined Belgian-style beers displaying the hallmark attributes typical of American variety hops. These beers are unique unto themselves. When using these guidelines as the basis for evaluating entries at competitions, brewers may be asked to provide supplemental information about entries in this category to allow for accurate evaluation of diverse entries. Such information might include the underlying beer style upon which the entry is based, or other information unique to the entry such as ingredients or processing which influence perceived sensory outcomes. Competition organizers may create subcategories which reflect groups of entries based on color, hop varieties, or underlying beer styles.
Technical specifications, including gravity
Original Gravity (°Plato) Varies with style • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) Varies with style • Alcohol by Weight (Volume) Varies with style • Hop Bitterness (IBU) Varies with style • Color SRM (EBC) Varies with style (Varies with style EBC)