An American strong ale pours medium amber to deep copper or light brown, clear under a moderate off-white to light tan head. It tastes of caramel, toffee or dark fruit from the malt against a medium-high to high bitterness and a strong American hop. The alcohol shows, but should never be sharp, and the finish is dry to slightly sweet. It runs at 6.3–10%.
Where it comes from
Craft brewers made it as an imperial-strength amber or red ale. The BJCP notes how much it has in common with the stock ales Americans brewed strong and heavily hopped to keep before Prohibition, though no brewer carried that line through.
Next to its neighbours
It sits between an American barleywine, which is stronger and richer, and a double IPA, which is less malty. It has more American hop than a British strong ale and more malt and body than a red IPA.
American Strong Ale in numbers
- Classic example
- Stone Brewing
- Original gravity
- 1.062–1.090
- Final gravity
- 1.014–1.024
- Also called
- Double red ale; imperial red ale
- Classic examples
- Stone Arrogant Bastard; Great Lakes Nosferatu; Oskar Blues G'Knight; Fat Head's Bone Head
- BJCP style
- 22B American Strong Ale
Sources
Checked .
- 22B. American Strong Ale, 2021 Beer Style Guidelines — Beer Judge Certification Program
