Malt aroma & flavor
Varies with underlying style to provide balance with coffee flavor and aroma
All Origin Hybrid/Mixed Lagers or Ales
Coffee Beer
Mixed / specialty · Pale to black depending on the underlying style
What to expect
Malt, hops, and body depend on the underlying style or ingredients. Read the guideline details for the character that defines this category.
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
Pale to black depending on the underlying style · 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 53 · PDF page 62. 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 to high depending on the underlying style
Perceived bitterness
Varies with underlying style
Body & mouthfeel
Reflective of the underlying beer style
Clarity
Clear to hazy is acceptable
Color
Pale to black depending on the underlying style
Fermentation characteristics
Typical of underlying style
Additional guideline notes & competition context
Coffee beers incorporate coffee in any form. Coffee character should be apparent as the defining attribute of this category, ranging from subtle to intense, and should be in harmony with other attributes of the underlying beer. Other flavors arising from the use of flavored coffee may also be present. When using these guidelines as the basis for evaluating entries at competitions, competition organizers may create categories which reflect groups of coffee beers based on underlying beer style or other factors. 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 type or form of coffee used or other factors which influence perceived sensory outcomes.
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)