Craft Beer Storm
Craft Beer Storm
Michael Power
Beer Styles # 9 - Experimental Beer
10 minutes Posted Dec 12, 2018 at 10:00 am.
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Experimental Beer

-Experimental beers are any beers that are primarily grain-based and employ unique and unusual techniques and/or ingredients.

-By definition, beers which represent a combination of two or more existing categories and exhibit distinctive characteristics of each of those categories would also be categorized as Experimental Beers.

-For example, combining an Imperial IPA (high hop aroma, lighter color and high ABV) with a Stout (low hop aroma, darker color and lower ABV) – Imperial IPA Stout

-Uniqueness is the primary consideration when evaluating this category.

-Color, Clarity, Aroma, Hop Aroma/Bitterness, Body and ABV varies

-Beara Brewing Co. – we brew a Double IPA called Outer Limits with Galaxy hops – connected with Outer Limits Hot Sauce in NJ and interviewed Ed Martin, Owner of Outer Limits Hot Sauce (https://www.outerlimitshotsauce.com/) in Episode 17 – we infused their Lime Jalepeno Hot Sauce into our OL DIPA and it came out great – combination of DIPA with Chilli beer - should enter that into GABF next year

Subcategory: Ginjo Beer or Sake-Yeast Beer

-These beers are brewed with sake yeast or sake (koji) enzymes. Sake character may best be described as having mild fruitiness and mild earthiness, with mushroomcharacter. A high amount of alcohol may be evident.

-Color: Pale to dark brown

-Clarity: Slight chill haze is acceptable

-Malt Aroma & Flavor – Very low to medium

-Hop Aroma and Flavor and Bitterness - (IBU) 12-35 - Low to medium and in harmony with sake-like character

-Body: Varies

-ABV: 4.3%-10.2%




-Subcategory: Wild Beer


-Wild beers are spontaneously fermented with microorganisms that the brewer has introduced from the ambient air/environment in the vicinity of the brewery in which the beer is brewed. Wild Beers may not be fermented with any cultured strains of yeast or bacteria.

-The most notable producers of wild ales called either Belgium or Germany

-Yeast is all around you in the air, and the method of spontaneous fermentation captures that yeast and uses it to ferment beer.

-Wild Beers may or may not be perceived as acidic. They may include a highly variable spectrum of flavors and aromas derived from the wild microorganisms with which they are fermented.

-Allagash in Maine built a CoolShip where they pump wort (sugar water) into a massive container and just let natural yeast in air ferment it

-I connected with Jason Perkins who is the Brewmaster at Allagash in Maine and I’m hoping to have him on the show in the New Year

-Color: Any color is acceptable.

-Clarity: Clear or hazy due to yeast, chill haze or hop haze.

-Malt Aroma – Generally, these beers have very low to low malt character.

-Hop Aroma and Flavor and Bitterness – Very low to high

-Body: Very low to medium

-ABV: 8.5%-12.2%



-Glassware for Experimental Beer: Belgian style or tulip glass


Examples courtesy of BeerAdvocate (https://www.beeradvocate.com)


Ginjo Beer or Sake-Yeast Beer Examples


Sakitumi | Lagunitas Brewing Company

Alcohol by volume (ABV): 9.00%


Extra Dry Sake Style Saison Ale | Stillwater Artisanal Ales

Alcohol by volume (ABV): 4.20%

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Michael Potorti is the Host of Craft Beer Storm and Founder/Brewer at Beara Brewing Co. in...