Category 1 Light Lager

This Classes Beers
(The below descriptions are from the May 2008 version of the style guide, For the latest style information always see BJCP Style Center)

Light Lager

These styles are all derived from pilsners. The last two are a direct response to the popularity of pilsners by local brewers. Both the Munich Helles and the Dortmunder Export are German beers, brewed with German lager yeast and pilsen malt much like the German Pilsner, but unlike pilsners, which have a hop focus, these two styles have a malt based focus. Note that the local waters of these styles have a higher mineral content than the original Bohemian Pilsner.
The American Lagers are derived from the standard pilsners but are based on local ingreedients, 2-row or 6-row barley and adjuncts, corn or rice, for a significant portion (25-40%) of the grain bill. Strong flavors are a fault in these beers and they are intended to appeal to the widest audience possible.

1A. Lite American Lager

Please get your sample of 1A. Lite American Lager (Miller Lite) and evaluate it. Remember, first pass without the style guide, and score this beer.

Now listen to a Master Judge as he/she evaluates this same beer.

Note: even though it is the same beer, it is NOT from the same bottle and may exhibit some different characteristics than yours. Also, we all have different palets, and perceive different flavors at different thresholds so your perceptions may be somewhat different than that of our judge. It is important to your learning process to evaluate and score this beer before you listen. Save some beer to evaluate along with our Master after you have performed your own evaluation.

Download the Masters Scoresheet and compare to your own.

Listen to 1A, B, C, 4A American Lagers - The Jamil Show 11-05-07 on The Brewing Network

From the Style Guide:

Overall Impression: Very refreshing and thirst quenching.

Comments: A lower gravity and lower calorie beer than standard international lagers. Strong flavors are a fault. Designed to appeal to the broadest range of the general public as possible.

Ingredients: Two- or six-row barley with high percentage (up to 40%) of rice or corn as adjuncts.

1B. Standard American Lager

Please get your sample of 1B. Standard American Lager (Pabst Blue Ribbon), and evaluate it. Remember, first pass without the style guide, and score this beer.

Now listen to a Master Judge as he/she evaluates this same beer.
It is important to your learning process to evaluate and score this beer before you listen. Save some beer to evaluate along with our Master after you have performed your own evaluation.

Download the Masters Scoresheet and compare to your own.

Listen to 1A, B, C, 4A American Lagers - The Jamil Show 11-05-07 on The Brewing Network (Same show as above)

Overall Impression: Very refreshing and thirst quenching.

Comments: Strong flavors are a fault. An international style including the standard mass-market lager from most countries.

Ingredients: Two- or six-row barley with high percentage (up to 40%) of rice or corn as adjuncts.

1C. Premium American Lager

Please get your sample of 1C. Premium American Lager (Miller Genuine Draft), and evaluate it. Remember, first pass without the style guide, and score this beer.

Now listen to a Master Judge as he/she evaluates this same beer.
It is important to your learning process to evaluate and score this beer before you listen. Save some beer to evaluate along with our Master after you have performed your own evaluation.

Download the Masters Scoresheet and compare to your own.

Listen to 1A, B, C, 4A American Lagers - The Jamil Show 11-05-07 on The Brewing Network (Same show as above)

Overall Impression: Refreshing and thirst quenching, although generally more filling than standard/lite versions.

Comments: Premium beers tend to have fewer adjuncts than standard/lite lagers, and can be all-malt. Strong flavors are a fault, but premium lagers have more flavor than standard/lite lagers. A broad category of international mass-market lagers ranging from up-scale American lagers to the typical "import" or "green bottle" international beers found in America.

Ingredients: Two- or six-row barley with up to 25% rice or corn as adjuncts.

1D. Munich Helles

Please get your sample of 1D. Munich Helles (Spaten Premium Lager), and evaluate it. Remember, first pass without the style guide, and score this beer.

Now listen to a Master Judge as he/she evaluates this same beer.
It is important to your learning process to evaluate and score this beer before you listen. Save some beer to evaluate along with our Master after you have performed your own evaluation.

Download the Masters Scoresheet and compare to your own.

Listen to 1D Munich Helles - The Jamil Show 09-25-06 on The Brewing Network

Overall Impression: Malty but fully attenuated Pils malt showcase.

Comments: Unlike Pilsner but like its cousin, Munich Dunkel, Helles is a malt-accentuated beer that is not overly sweet, but rather focuses on malt flavor with underlying hop bitterness in a supporting role.

History: Created in Munich in 1895 at the Spaten brewery by Gabriel Sedlmayr to compete with Pilsner-style beers.

Ingredients: Moderate carbonate water, Pilsner malt, German noble hop varieties.

1E. Dortmunder Export

Please get your sample of 1E. Dortmunder Export (Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold), and evaluate it. Remember, first pass without the style guide, and score this beer.

Now listen to a Master Judge as he/she evaluates this same beer.
It is important to your learning process to evaluate and score this beer before you listen. Save some beer to evaluate along with our Master after you have performed your own evaluation.

Download the Masters Scoresheet and compare to your own.

Listen to 1E Dortmunder Export - The Jamil Show 11-19-07 on The Brewing Network

Overall Impression: Balance and smoothness are the hallmarks of this style. It has the malt profile of a Helles, the hop character of a Pils, and is slightly stronger than both.

Comments: Brewed to a slightly higher starting gravity than other light lagers, providing a firm malty body and underlying maltiness to complement the sulfate-accentuated hop bitterness. The term "Export" is a beer strength category under German beer tax law, and is not strictly synonymous with the "Dortmunder" style. Beer from other cities or regions can be brewed to Export strength, and labeled as such.

History: A style indigenous to the Dortmund industrial region, Dortmunder has been on the decline in Germany in recent years.

Ingredients: Minerally water with high levels of sulfates, carbonates and chlorides, German or Czech noble hops, Pilsner malt, German lager yeast.