Irish Origin Ale Styles
Ale · Black
Coffee-like roasted barley leads the way. Initial malt and light caramel flavors give way to a distinctive dry-roasted bitterness in the finish.
Reading guide · The complete guideline attributes below preserve the source’s qualifications.40+
Black · Illustrative colors on the shared, uneven SRM scale.
Explore styles overlapping this color range4.1–5.3%
Reference scale, not a limit on official guideline values.
30–40
Measured bitterness; perceived bitterness is described in the guideline below.
Brewers Association 2026 · Printed guideline page 7 · PDF page 16. Color graphics are illustrative.
Official style attributes, including what may be present and what should be absent.
The prominence of coffee-like roasted barley and a moderate degree of roasted malt aroma and flavor defines much of the character. The hallmark dry-roasted attributes typical of Dry Stout result from the use of roasted barley. Initial malt and light caramel flavors give way to a distinctive dry-roasted bitterness in the finish.
European hop character may range from not present to low in aroma and flavor
Medium to medium-high
Medium-light to medium
Opaque
Black
Fruity esters are low relative to malt and roasted barley as well as hop bitterness. Diacetyl is usually absent in these beers but may be present at very low levels. Slight acidity may be present but is not required.
Head retention should be persistent
Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.038-1.048 (9.5-11.9 °Plato) • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) 1.008-1.012 (2.1-3.1 °Plato) • Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 3.2%-4.2% (4.1%-5.3%) • Hop Bitterness (IBU) 30-40 • Color SRM (EBC) 40+ (80+ EBC)