BJCP · Category 33 · 2 styles
Wood Beer
Beers aged in barrels or in contact with wood, without being wild or sour. 33A is for wood alone, which mostly brings oak, vanilla and tannin, and 33B is for barrels that previously held spirits, wine or other beverages, or for wood combined with other additions.
The 2 Wood Beer styles
The numbers at a glance
| BJCP style | ABV | Bitterness | Color |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood-Aged Beer | per base style | per base style | per base style |
| Specialty Wood-Aged Beer | per base style | per base style | per base style |
How to tell the styles apart
The two categories are split by what was in the wood before. Wood-Aged Beer (33A) uses new oak or neutral barrels: it brings vanilla, coconut, toast and a little tannin, with no trace of spirits or sourness. The base is usually malty and of medium to high strength, because a light beer gets overwhelmed quickly.
Specialty Wood-Aged Beer (33B) comes into play when the barrel has held whiskey, rum, wine or another beverage, or when other ingredients join the wood. That's where you get spirit notes, extra alcohol and flavors from the wine or spirit that was there before, which should blend with the base. If the wood has produced acidity or funk, the beer no longer belongs here but among the wild beers in category 28.
Brew it yourself
Which one to brew first
Start with a Wood-Aged Beer (33A) using oak cubes on a base you already brew well, for example a robust porter or a strong Scotch ale. You control the contact time and can pull the wood whenever you like. A Specialty Wood-Aged Beer (33B) made with spirit-soaked oak isn't hard either, but a real barrel has to be kept full, protected from oxygen and kept from getting contaminated, which is tricky at home.
Common mistakes
- Wood-aging a light, thin-bodied base. Tannin and vanilla take over quickly; choose malty styles with enough alcohol to stand up to them.
- Using thin chips and expecting the same result as with cubes. Chips extract very fast and give flatter oak; if you use them, cut the contact time way down.
- Pouring the spirit straight into the beer instead of using it to soak the wood. The result tastes like a cocktail, not a barrel-aged beer.
- Using a very small barrel with the same timing as a large one. The more wood surface per liter, the faster and more aggressive the extraction.
How to serve them
10-14 °C (50-57 °F), in a balloon glass or snifter, so the vanilla and oak open up. Serve it in moderate pours, especially if it comes from a spirit barrel. It goes with roasted meats, smoked foods and aged sheep's milk cheeses; whiskey or rum versions pair with chocolate desserts, crème brûlée or nuts.
Frequently asked questions
Which styles make up the Wood Beer category?
According to the BJCP 2021 guidelines, 2: Wood-Aged Beer, Specialty Wood-Aged Beer.
Classification and statistics: BJCP category 33 (Wood Beer), 2021 edition.