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American Wild Ale / 28B

Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer

Unfiltered BJCP Styles Style Profile

Official BJCP guideline sections attached for full style exploration.

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Source
BJCP 2021 Beer Style Guidelines

Overall Impression

A sour and funky version of a base style of beer.

Aroma

Variable by base style. The contribution of non-Sacch microbes should be noticeable to strong, and often contribute a sour and funky, wild note. The best examples will display a range of aromatics, rather than a single dominant character. The aroma should be inviting, not harsh or unpleasant.

Appearance

Variable by base style. Clarity can be variable; some haze is not a fault. Head retention can be poor.

Flavor

Variable by base style. Look for an agreeable balance between the base beer and the fermentation character. A range of results is possible from fairly high acidity and funk to a subtle, pleasant, harmonious beer. The best examples are pleasurable to drink with the esters and phenols complementing the malt or hops. The wild character can be prominent, but does not need to be dominating in a style with an otherwise strong malt or hop profile. Acidity should be firm yet enjoyable, and ranging from clean to complex, but should not be biting or vinegary; prominent, objectionable, or offensive acetic acid is a fault. Bitterness tends to be low, especially as sourness increases.

Mouthfeel

Variable by base style. Generally has a light body, almost always lighter than what might be expected from the base style. Generally moderate to high carbonation, although often lower in higher alcohol examples.

Comments

The base beer style becomes less relevant in this style because the various yeast and bacteria tend to dominate the profile. Bitterness is often reserved since bitter and sour flavors clash on the palate. Inappropriate characteristics include diacetyl, solvent, ropy or viscous texture, and heavy oxidation.

Characteristic Ingredients

Virtually any style of beer. Usually fermented by some combination of Lacto, Pedio, Sacch, and Brett. Can also be a blend of styles. Wood or barrel aging is very common, but not required; if present, should not be a primary or dominant flavor.

Style Comparison

A sour and funky version of a base style, but do not necessarily have to be as sour or as funky as some traditional European sour examples.

Commercial Examples

  • Boulevard Love Child
  • Jester King Le Petit Prince
  • Jolly Pumpkin Oro de Calabaza
  • Lost Abbey Ghosts in the Forest
  • New Belgium Le Terroir
  • Russian River Temptation

Style Attributes

craft-style north-america sour specialty-beer wild-fermentation

Similar Styles: How to Tell Them Apart

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

These variable American wild beers retain a recognizable base beer while microbial fermentation can add fruit, dryness, funk, acidity, and a lighter body. Brett Beer is fruity or funky but not lactic-sour; Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer adds both sour and wild fermentation character; Wild Specialty Beer adds an evident fruit, herb, spice, wood, or other specialty ingredient to a wild base.

Compare with: 28A. Brett Beer; 28C. Wild Specialty Beer

By aroma

  • Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer has noticeable to strong sour and funky non-Saccharomyces character integrated with the declared base style.
  • Unlike Brett Beer it includes clear sourness, while unlike Wild Specialty Beer it does not require fruit, spice, wood, or another specialty ingredient.

By taste

  • Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer balances base malt or hops with firm but enjoyable acidity, esters, phenols, and wild character.
  • Its range can run from subtly harmonious to highly sour and funky, but objectionable vinegar and biting acidity are faults.
  • Bitterness generally falls as sourness rises, and the body is usually lighter than the unsoured base style.

Quick tell: A base style transformed by both sourness and funk indicates Mixed-Fermentation Sour Beer.

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