Malt aroma & flavor
Mild malt character may be present
Belgian and French Origin Ale Styles
Belgian-Style Table Beer
Ale · Gold to black. Caramel color is sometimes added to adjust color.
What to expect
Malt character: Mild malt character may be present. Hop character: Not present to very low.
Reading guide · The complete guideline attributes below preserve the source’s qualifications.Color · SRM
5–50
Pale / strawBlack
Gold to black. Caramel color is sometimes added to adjust color. · Illustrative colors on the shared, uneven SRM scale.
Explore styles overlapping this color rangeAlcohol · ABV
0.5–2.0%
Reference scale, not a limit on official guideline values.
Bitterness · IBU
5–15
Measured bitterness; perceived bitterness is described in the guideline below.
Brewers Association 2026 · Printed guideline page 22 · PDF page 31. Color graphics are illustrative.
The guideline, in detail
Official style attributes, including what may be present and what should be absent.
Hop aroma & flavor
Not present to very low
Perceived bitterness
Very low to low
Body & mouthfeel
Low
Clarity
Beer color may be too dark to perceive. When clarity is perceivable, chill haze is acceptable at low temperatures.
Color
Gold to black. Caramel color is sometimes added to adjust color.
Fermentation characteristics
Diacetyl should not be present. Traditional versions do not use artificial sweeteners nor are they excessively sweet. More modern versions can incorporate sweeteners such as sugar and saccharin added post fermentation for additional sweetness and to increase smoothness.
Additional guideline notes & competition context
These beers may contain malted barley, wheat, and rye as well as unmalted wheat, rye, oats, and corn. Though not common, flavorings such as coriander or orange and lemon peel are sometimes added, but are barely perceptible. The mouthfeel is light to moderate, and sometimes boosted with unfermented sugars/malt sugars. Low carbonation and aftertaste are typical.
Technical specifications, including gravity
Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.008-1.023 (2.1-5.8 °Plato) • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) 1.002- 1.008 (0.5-2.1 °Plato) • Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 0.4%-1.6% (0.5%-2.0%) • Hop Bitterness (IBU) 5-15 • Color SRM (EBC) 5-50 (10-100 EBC)