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Amber and Brown American Beer / 19B

California Common

Certified Beer Server Candidate Style Profile

Official BJCP guideline sections attached for full style exploration.

Certification exam alignment
Certified Beer Server Certified Cicerone® Advanced Cicerone® BJCP Beer Judge Entrance Exam
Source
BJCP 2021 Beer Style Guidelines

Overall Impression

A toasty and caramelly, fairly bitter, standard-strength beer with an interesting fruitiness and rustic, woody hop character. Smooth and well carbonated.

Aroma

Moderate to high herbal, resinous, floral, or minty hops. Light fruitiness acceptable. Low to moderate caramel or toasty malt supports the hops.

Appearance

Medium amber to light copper color. Generally clear. Moderate off-white head with good retention.

Flavor

Moderately malty with a pronounced hop bitterness. The malt character usually has toast (not roast) and caramel flavors. Low to moderately high hop flavor, usually showing rustic, traditional American hop qualities (often herbal, resinous, floral, minty). Finish fairly dry and crisp, with a lingering hop bitterness and a firm, grainy malt flavor. Light fruity esters are acceptable, but otherwise clean.

Mouthfeel

Medium-bodied. Medium to medium-high carbonation.

Vital Statistics

IBU
30 - 45
SRM
9 - 14
ABV
4.5% - 5.5%

Commercial Examples

  • Anchor Steam
  • Steamworks Steam Engine Lager

Similar Styles: How to Tell Them Apart

Use these guideline-based sensory contrasts to organize comparative tasting practice.

These amber, moderate-strength American beers can both combine caramelized malt with noticeable bitterness. Distinguish California Common's assertive rustic hop profile and toastier, drier finish from American Amber Ale's more variable balance, modern hop possibilities, and clearer caramel emphasis.

Compare with: 19A. American Amber Ale

By aroma

  • California Common features moderate to high herbal, resinous, floral, or minty traditional American hops, unlike American Amber Ale's low to moderate often citrusy American or New World hop aroma.
  • California Common can show low to moderate toast and caramel beneath the hops, while American Amber Ale more often has a moderate, clearly caramelly malt aroma.
  • California Common allows light fruitiness but otherwise smells clean, whereas American Amber Ale can range from neutral to moderately estery.

By taste

  • California Common has a pronounced, always assertive hop bitterness and a rustic herbal-resinous hop flavor, unlike American Amber Ale's more variable bitter-to-malty balance.
  • California Common leans toast rather than roast and finishes fairly dry and crisp with firm grainy malt; American Amber Ale more often begins with malty sweetness and moderate caramel.
  • California Common's lingering bitterness is paired with traditional hop character, while American Amber Ale can feature citrusy or other American or New World hop flavors alongside caramel.

Quick tell: Rustic Northern Brewer-like hops plus toast and a firm dry finish point to California Common.

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