Malt aroma & flavor
Very low to medium malt flavor and aroma should be present. Low caramel malt aroma and flavor may be present.
Other Origin Ale Styles
International-Style Pale Ale
Ale · Gold to copper
What to expect
Very low to medium malt flavor and aroma should be present.
Reading guide · The complete guideline attributes below preserve the source’s qualifications.Color · SRM
5–12
Pale / strawBlack
Gold to copper · Illustrative colors on the shared, uneven SRM scale.
Explore styles overlapping this color rangeAlcohol · ABV
4.4–6.6%
Reference scale, not a limit on official guideline values.
Bitterness · IBU
20–42
Measured bitterness; perceived bitterness is described in the guideline below.
Brewers Association 2026 · Printed guideline page 31 · PDF page 40. Color graphics are illustrative.
The guideline, in detail
Official style attributes, including what may be present and what should be absent.
Hop aroma & flavor
Hop aroma is low to high. Hop flavor is very low to high. Hop character can vary widely, exhibiting diverse hop aroma and flavor attributes.
Perceived bitterness
Medium to high
Body & mouthfeel
Low to medium
Clarity
Chill haze is acceptable at low temperatures
Color
Gold to copper
Fermentation characteristics
Fruity esters are low to high. Diacetyl is usually absent in these beers but may be present at very low levels. DMS should not be present.
Additional guideline notes & competition context
Pale Ales from around the world may vary considerably from the other pale ale styles defined elsewhere within this document. Overall impression is a well-integrated, easy drinking, refreshing ale with distinctive hop aroma and flavor attributes including any of floral, herbal, fruity, tropical, pine, or many others.
Technical specifications, including gravity
Original Gravity (°Plato) 1.040-1.060 (10-14.7 °Plato) • Apparent Extract/Final Gravity (°Plato) 1.006- 1.014 (1.5-3.6 °Plato) • Alcohol by Weight (Volume) 3.5%-5.2% (4.4%-6.6%) • Hop Bitterness (IBU) 20-42 • Color SRM (EBC) 5-12 (10-24 EBC)