Beer Styles: Amber and Dark Lagers Andy Hejl
3. European Amber Lager Appearance: Usually amber (gold to copper) Malt: Malt focused styles, with toasted, Vienna/Munich characters. Caramel is inappropriate Hops: Low, noble varieties Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, medium carbonation Fermentation: Clean lagers, no esters / no diacetyl
3A. Vienna Lager Soft, elegant toasted malt character Malt: Vienna malt, less intense than Oktoberfest Hops: More hop presence than Oktoberfest, still low to none Flavor: Balanced slightly toward malt, dry finish Mouthfeel: Med body, Med Carbonation
3B. Oktoberfest/Märzen More malt depth and richness than Vienna lager Malt: Rich German (Vienna, Munich) - toasted Hops: No hop aroma, flavor low to none Flavor: Balanced toward malt, but not sweet Mouthfeel: Med body, Med Carbonation
4. Dark Lager Appearance: Darker than amber lagers, not all black, Clear Malt: Though black not often significantly roasty Hops: None are hop forward beers Mouthfeel: Nothing more than Medium Fermentation: Clean lagers, no esters
4A. Dark American Lager Darker, slightly sweeter Standard American Lager Malt: Not much character, maybe a bit of roast or caramel Hops: None to Low character, noble hops Appearance: Dark amber to brown Flavor: Low to medium sweetness, low to no caramel or roast, light fruitiness ok Mouthfeel: Light to medium body; High Carbonation
4B. Munich Dunkel Rich Munich malt focused beer Malt: Rich melanoidin, Munich malt (bread crusts), not roasty Hops: Usually none but a low hop character is ok Flavor: Balance definitely to the malt, finish should not be overly sweet, can be dry Mouthfeel: Med to Med-Full body, Med Carbonation
4C. Schwarzbier Black beer Darker and drier than Dunkel with a bit more roasted malt, like a Black Pilsner Malt: Low to med with some roast but not that much. Background can be neutral or have some Munich Hops: Low to med noble hops, more in flavor Flavor: More evenly balanced, usually finishes dry Mouthfeel: Med body, Med to Med-High Carbonation
5. Bock A family of richly malty German lagers Appearance: Range from pale to dark, excellent clarity Malt: The real hallmark, definitely melanoidin character and all are malt showcases Hops: Backseat to the malt Mouthfeel: Nothing more than Medium, some alcohol warming but not hot alcohol Fermentation: Clean lagers, usually no esters
5A. Maibock / Helles Bock Pale, more evenly balanced Bock beer Malt: Med to strong, some melanoidin, rich Pilsner malt Hops: Hoppiest of the Bocks, noble hops. None to Med hop character Appearance: Gold to amber Flavor: Most balanced of the Bocks, but still Malt focused; Finishes mostly dry Mouthfeel: Med body, Medium or higher carbonation
5B. Traditional Bock Dark, malty German strong lager Malt: Strong malt aroma with melanoidins, Munich malt, not caramel Hops: No hop aroma or flavor Appearance: Copper to brown Flavor: Balance definitely to the malt, well attenuated but may be a bit sweet in finish Mouthfeel: Med to med-full body, Med carbonation
5C. Doppelbock Very strong and rich malty lager Malt: Very strong maltiness, definitely melanoidin. The character will vary with color Hops: Virtually no hop aroma or flavor Appearance: Wide range from gold to brown Flavor: Definitely malt focused, moderate bitterness, usually finish somewhat sweet from low hopping Mouthfeel: Med-full to full body, definite alcohol warming
5D. Eisbock Freeze concentrated Doppelbock, even more intense maltiness Malt: Intense malt, melanoidin, can almost be dark fruit Hops: Virtually no hop character Appearance: Copper to brown, excellent clarity, legs Flavor: Bitterness just to prevent cloying sweetness, should taste alcohol Mouthfeel: Full bodied, significant alcohol warming, low carbonation