Style: Specialty Beer

Classifying these beers can be complex. Beers made with unusual fermentables, which also contain spices, fruits, or other ingredients and which therefore represent a combination of two or more hybrid beer styles are categorized as Experimental Beers. Within the framework of these guidelines, nuts generally impart much more flavor than fermentables, and beers containing nuts are categorized as Field Beers. Likewise, within the framework of these guidelines, coconut is defined as a vegetable and beers containing coconut are categorized as Field Beers. Beers brewed with honey are categorized as Specialty Honey Beers. Beers brewed with roots, seeds, flowers etc. which exhibit herbal and/or spicy characters are categorized as Herb and Spice Beers. While beers brewed with fruits or vegetables may derive fermentable carbohydrate from those sources, they are most appropriately categorized within various Fruit Beer or Field Beer categories. 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 the underlying beer style upon which the entry is based, or other information unique to the entry such as type or form of unusual carbohydrate source used or other factors which influence perceived sensory outcomes.