CFPS Beer Styles and Characteristics 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which beer style is characterized by a dry, roasty flavor with notes of coffee and dark chocolate, typically very low in residual sweetness?
- Irish Dry Stout (Correct answer)
- Milk Stout
- Imperial Stout
- Foreign Extra Stout
Correct answer: Irish Dry Stout
Irish Dry Stout, like Guinness, is known for its dry roasty finish, low sweetness, and prominent coffee and dark chocolate flavors.
Question 2: What distinguishes a Hefeweizen from other wheat beers?
- It is unfiltered and fermented with a yeast that produces banana and clove esters (Correct answer)
- It uses a bottom-fermenting lager yeast
- It contains no hops
- It is aged in oak barrels
Correct answer: It is unfiltered and fermented with a yeast that produces banana and clove esters
Hefeweizen is an unfiltered Bavarian wheat beer whose distinctive banana (isoamyl acetate) and clove (4-vinyl guaiacol) character comes from its unique top-fermenting yeast strain.
Question 3: Which hop variety is most associated with American IPAs and contributes citrus and pine aromas?
- Cascade (Correct answer)
- Saaz
- Hallertau
- Fuggle
Correct answer: Cascade
Cascade hops, developed in the US, are responsible for the grapefruit and floral citrus notes that define many American IPAs and pale ales.
Question 4: A Belgian Tripel is best described as:
- A strong, pale, bottle-conditioned ale with fruity esters and spicy phenols (Correct answer)
- A dark, malt-forward lager with caramel sweetness
- A sour ale aged in oak with wild yeast
- A smoked porter brewed with beechwood
Correct answer: A strong, pale, bottle-conditioned ale with fruity esters and spicy phenols
Belgian Tripel is a strong golden ale (typically 7.5–9.5% ABV) with complex fruity and spicy character from Belgian yeast, a dry finish, and high carbonation.
Question 5: What is the defining characteristic of a Rauchbier?
- Malt that has been dried over beechwood smoke (Correct answer)
- The use of rye malt as the primary grain
- High levels of lactic acid sourness
- Dry hopping with American varieties
Correct answer: Malt that has been dried over beechwood smoke
Rauchbier ('smoke beer') from Bamberg, Germany uses malt kilned over beechwood fires, imparting a distinctive campfire or smoked meat character.
Question 6: Which style is defined by its use of wild Brettanomyces yeast and spontaneous fermentation?
- Lambic (Correct answer)
- Berliner Weisse
- Gose
- Flanders Red Ale
Correct answer: Lambic
Lambic is spontaneously fermented in the Pajottenland region of Belgium using wild airborne yeast and bacteria, including Brettanomyces, Pediococcus, and Enterobacteriaceae.
CFPS Beer Styles and Characteristics 1
Which beer style is characterized by a dry, roasty flavor with notes of coffee and dark chocolate, typically very low in residual sweetness?