Sour

Lambic

BJCP 23D

Spontaneously fermented in the Zenne valley, using aged hops for preservation rather than bitterness and whatever the air provides for yeast. Flat, dry, sour and funky.

Vital statistics

Each bar is drawn against the full range of all 98 styles

Original gravity

1.040 - 1.054

Final gravity

1.001 - 1.010

Bitterness

0 IBU - 10 IBU

Colour

3 SRM - 7 SRM

Alcohol

5% - 6.5%

Colour also 6-14 EBC

What goes wrong

Assuming your air will do the same thing. Spontaneous fermentation outside that valley is a genuine gamble, and most home attempts are better off pitching a mixed culture.

Commercial examples

Cantillon Grand Cru BruocsellaBoonDe CamDrie FonteinenLindemansGirardin

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.

The rest of the sour family

23A

Berliner Weisse

2.8-3.8% · 3-8 IBU

23B

Flanders Red Ale

4.6-6.5% · 10-25 IBU

23C

Oud Bruin

4-8% · 20-25 IBU

23E

Gueuze