Strong ale
Belgian Dark Strong Ale
The quadrupel: dark fruit, raisin and caramelised sugar over an enormous but deceptively drinkable body, with the yeast supplying most of the complexity.
Vital statistics
Each bar is drawn against the full range of all 98 styles
Original gravity
1.075 - 1.110
1.075 - 1.110
Final gravity
1.010 - 1.024
1.010 - 1.024
Bitterness
20 IBU - 35 IBU
20 IBU - 35 IBU
Colour
12 SRM - 22 SRM
12 SRM - 22 SRM
Alcohol
8% - 12%
8% - 12%
Colour also 24-43 EBC
What goes wrong
Getting the depth from dark malt. It should come from dark candi syrup and yeast character; roast malt makes it taste like a stout with a Belgian accent.
Commercial examples
Reference examples of the style, as listed in the BJCP 2021 Style Guidelines. Availability varies by market and year.
Vital statistics as published in the BJCP 2021 Style Guidelines. Not yet checked against the published guidelines: treat these ranges as a planning aid and read the source at bjcp.org before entering a competition.
Plan a batch to these numbers.