Malt aroma & flavor
May vary widely with ingredients used and brewing process
All Origin Hybrid/Mixed Lagers or Ales
Experimental Beer
Mixed / specialty · May vary widely with ingredients used
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 widely
Varies widely. No numeric color range is assigned.
Pale / strawBlack
May vary widely with ingredients used · Illustrative colors on the shared, uneven SRM scale.
Return to color discoveryAlcohol · ABV
Varies widely
No numeric range is specified.
Bitterness · IBU
Varies widely
No numeric range is specified.
Brewers Association 2026 · Printed guideline page 60 · PDF page 69. Color graphics are illustrative.
The guideline, in detail
Official style attributes, including what may be present and what should be absent.
Hop aroma & flavor
May vary widely with ingredients used and brewing process
Perceived bitterness
May vary widely with ingredients used and brewing process
Body & mouthfeel
May vary widely with ingredients used and brewing process
Clarity
Varies with ingredients used and brewing process
Color
May vary widely with ingredients used
Fermentation characteristics
Will vary widely depending on the nature of the techniques and ingredients used to create the beer
Additional guideline notes & competition context
Experimental beers are beers that 1. employ unique and unusual techniques, ingredients or both; or 2. beers that do not meet the criteria of individual existing categories, representing a combination of two or more hybrid, specialty or classic categories (with the exception of beers brewed with chili peppers). Experimental beers are primarily grain-based with a minimum of 51% of fermentable carbohydrates derived from malted grains. Beers produced using non-experimental techniques or ingredients are considered experimental beers if their properties overlap two or more existing categories and exhibit the distinctive characteristics of each of those categories. Uniqueness is the primary consideration when evaluating this category. Within the framework of these guidelines, field, fruit, chocolate, coffee, spice, specialty, wood-aged or other beers that fit within another individual hybrid category are not categorized as experimental beers. Within the framework of these guidelines, all beers brewed with chili peppers are categorized as chili beers, and should not be categorized as experimental beers. Within the framework of these guidelines, experimental beers which otherwise meet the criteria of various India Pale Ale and Imperial India Pale Ale categories from around the world are categorized as Experimental India Pale Ale. 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 an underlying beer style(s) upon which the entry is based (if such style(s) is apparent), 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, microflora, fruit, spices or other ingredients, wood-aging, etc.
Technical specifications, including gravity
Original Gravity (°Plato) Varies widely • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) Varies widely • Alcohol by Weight (Volume) Varies widely • Hop Bitterness (IBU) Varies widely • Color SRM (EBC)