BJCP Exam Study

I am studying to take the BJCP exam again this spring and I thought while I did it would be some easy fill for the old blog. Since all of the questions are readily available, I don't think I am revealing any secret information here.

So what I am going to do is post a question and my response to it. Hopefully the process of creating the post will help the information stick in my brain.

Identify three top-fermenting beer styles where the minimum
original gravity is 1.070 or higher. For each style provide a statement describing the style as well as the differences and similarities between the styles by addressing the following topics:

	Russian Imperial Stout	Imperial IPA	Belgian Tripel
Aroma	Rich & complex, roasted grain & fruity esters, dark fruit, hops are light to quite aggressive	Prominent, intense hop aroma from American &/or English varieties. Dry hopping can give an optional grassy character	Complex with moderate to significant spiciness, moderate fruity esters, low alcohol and fruity esters. Esters often smell like citrus
Appearance	Color ranges from deep reddish brown to jet black. Deep tan to dark brown well formed head	Color ranges from golden to deep reddish copper. May be hazy in unfiltered dry hopped versions, otherwise clear. Off-white head with good retention	Deep yellow to gold, good clarity. Long lasting creamy, rocky head with “Belgian Lace” on glass
Flavor	Rich & complex with roasted grain & fruity esters, dark fruit. Hop flavor and bittering vary	High to absurdly high hop bitterness. Low to medium malt flavor. Long lingering hop bitterness in finish	Marriage of spicy phenols, fruity esters, & soft malt character. Low to moderate hop character. Alcohol is soft often with a sweet flavor
Mouthfeel	Full to very full bodied with velvety texture which can fade with age	smooth, medium-light to medium body. No harsh hop derived astringency. Carbonation can give a dry sensation overall	medium-light to medium body, high alcohol adds a creaminess, but no warming sensation. Always effervescent, never astringent
Ingredients/Background	Brewed in England to export to the Baltic countries, was popular with the Russian Imperial Court	A recent innovation for American Hop Heads looking for ever hoppier beers	Spiciness is derived from the yeast, not ingredients.
Classic	Bell’s Expedition Stout	Russian River Pliney the Elder	Westmalle Tripel
Similarities	Ale, OG >= 1.070	Ale, OG >= 1.070	Ale, OG >= 1.070
Difference	Dark roasted malt	very high hop bitterness	up to 20% sugar to lighten body

Port Townsend Day Trip

I had January 3rd off and decided that it was high time I got out to Port Townsend. I love the Olympics and have gone over there several times, but Port Townsend is a bit out of the way so I have not been going up there.

I caught a ferry out to the Olympic Peninsula and was rewarded with a great view of the mountains. I really enjoy taking the ferries up here. Depending on where you are going they can be a huge time saver. At the very least it is a relaxing bit of time to enjoy the view.


Once on the other side I headed straight for Port Townsend. It is a pretty little town with a waterfront that looks like it came straight out of a Steven King novel, the early part before the horrible evil is loosed upon the Maine countryside. The town also has a quaint little downtown area and all of the storefronts are painted up nice and pretty. Except for the spot where Water Street Brewing used to be. Apparently they were engaged in some sort of rent dispute with their land lords and closed down in June. Sampling the brew there was part of the reason I drove out here on a fine January day.

Another part of the reason I went to Port Townsend was to visit Port Townsend Brewing Company, thankfully they seem to be doing just fine. A little hard to find despite being right off the main drag through town. Their signs don't show very well from the main road and you can drive right past them like I did, twice.



As is my normally habit when I first go to a new brewery I decided to order the sampler. When the bartender asked if I wanted a full sampler, or to pick some out; I did not realize that a full sampler was a dozen. Here are my quick impressions of each of the beers. For those playing the home game, the samples were done left to right across each row.

1. Chets Gold - malty beer lightly hopped with cascades, smooth and clean.


2. Pale Ale - quite a bit of c hops, more like an IPA than a pale with a bitterness that lingers


3. "Reel" Amber - the grapefruity c hops overwhelm the malt.


4. "Bitter end" IPA - good malt flavors support the hops, but the balance it to the hops, Northwest type hopping.


5. "Hop Diggidy" IPA - loaded with cascade hops, intensely bitter, cloudy - probably from dry hopping.


6. Boatyard Bitter - inoffensive


7. Brown Porter - dark roasted malt, smooth, chocolate notes and a touch of astringency.


8. "Peeping Peter" Scotch Ale - Peated malt gives a medicinal phenolic note in the aftertaste. True Scottish Ale get their smoke from the yeast, not the grain.


9. Straight Stout Irish Stout - smooth dark, inoffensive


10. Winter Ale Old Ale - caramel malt dominates with some vanilla and toffee notes.


11. Barleywine - Caramel and treacle, hot fusel alcohol in the finish with some astringency. This would probably be much better in a year.


12. Winter Rye - malty, some rye spice, smooth and clean, some banana esters, this is quite good, but the flavors are not quite in sync yet.