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Standard American Beer / 1A

American Light Lager

Certified Beer Server Candidate Style Profile

Official BJCP guideline sections attached for full style exploration.

Cicerone® exam alignment
Certified Beer Server Certified Cicerone® Advanced Cicerone®
Source
BJCP 2021 Beer Style Guidelines

Overall Impression

A highly carbonated, very light-bodied, nearly flavorless lager designed to be consumed very cold. Very refreshing and thirst-quenching.

Aroma

Low malt aroma optional, but may be perceived as grainy, sweet, or corn-like, if present. Light spicy, floral, or herbal hop aroma optional. While a clean fermentation profile is desirable, a light amount of yeast character is not a fault.

Appearance

Very pale straw to pale yellow color. White, frothy head seldom persists. Very clear.

Flavor

Relatively neutral palate with a crisp, dry finish and a low to very low grainy or corn-like flavor that might be perceived as sweetness due to the low bitterness. Low floral, spicy, or herbal hop flavor optional, but is rarely strong enough to detect. Low to very low bitterness. Balance may vary from slightly malty to slightly bitter, but is usually close to even. High carbonation may accentuate the crispness of the dry finish. Clean fermentation profile.

Mouthfeel

Very light, sometimes watery, body. Very highly carbonated with slight carbonic bite on the tongue.

Vital Statistics

IBU
8 - 12
SRM
2 - 3
ABV
2.8% - 4.2%

Commercial Examples

  • Bud Light
  • Coors Light
Open official BJCP source