BJCP 2021 / 27F
Historical Beer: Pre-Prohibition Lager
A hoppier, more bitter ancestor of modern American lager.
- Drink fresh
- standard strength
- pale color
- bottom fermented
- lagered
Serve: 40 to 44F, Pilsner glass
OG1.120
1.044 to 1.060FG1.030
1.010 to 1.015IBU120
25 to 40SRM40
3 to 6ABV14%
4.5 to 6.0%Taste it in order
Aroma
12 pts- Spicy and floral hop
- Light grain and corn
- Clean lager
- Vague
- Hoppy
- Better
- Spicy hop and light grain
- Best
- Low to moderate spicy and floral hop with light cracker and corn aroma, clean lager yeast
Appearance
3 pts- Straw to gold
- Brilliantly clear
- White head with good retention
- Vague
- Gold
- Better
- Gold and clear
- Best
- Straw to gold, brilliantly clear, white head with good retention
Flavor
20 pts- Grainy malt with a corn sweetness
- Hop flavor and firm bitterness
- Dry crisp finish
- Vague
- Crisp
- Better
- Grain, corn and hop with a dry finish
- Best
- Low grainy malt and light corn sweetness, moderate spicy hop flavor, firm bitterness, dry crisp finish
Mouthfeel
5 pts- Medium-light to medium body
- Medium to high carbonation
- Crisp
- Vague
- Crisp
- Better
- Medium body, crisp
- Best
- Medium-light to medium body, crisp, medium to high carbonation
Overall Impression
10 ptsLifts it
- Hop and corn in harmony
- Crisp finish
Drops it
- Excess sweetness
- Staleness
Writing tip
Note the corn. Example: 'Spicy hop with light corn sweetness and a firm dry finish. Very clean.'
Pour these
No examples chosen yet.
Often confused with
- 1B American LagerAmerican Lager is lighter and has less hop
- 5D German PilsGerman Pils has no corn
Fine here
- DMS: A trace of corn is traditional
Ruinous here
- Light-struck: Skunk
- Oxidized: Stale
- Diacetyl: Butter
Style names, numbers and vital statistics follow the BJCP 2021 beer guidelines. Descriptions and example choices are our own. Check a beer is still made before you hunt for it.