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=Introduction=
This guide is aimed at helping to teach new beer judges how to judge wild and sour beer. Understanding and judging sour and mixed fermentation beer can be a challenge for anyone new to these styles. The best way to learn how to judge these types of beers is to drink commercial examples. There are a wide array of beers that fall into this category, from beers that exemplify the fruity character of ''Brettanomyces'' yeasts, to beers that focus mainly on sourness from lactic acid. This guide aims to accompany the BJCP /BA style guidelines and help judges learn how to judge sour and mixed fermentation beer.
=Note on Styles=
Fruit flavors and aromas, whether imparted by microbes or actual fruit, are dominant characteristics of many types of sour and mixed fermentation beers. It is useful for brewers and judges to characterize the types of fruit flavors and aromas in sour or mixed fermentation beers, and the extent to which they are present. In general, when fruity flavors are not derived from actual fruit, they come from ethyl esters and other types of esters produced by microbes (often by wild Brettanomyces yeast, but also by wild ''Saccharomyces'' yeast and lactic acid bacteria). Lactic acid or low amounts of acetic acid can also lend their own fruity character to a beer, which often synergizes with any esters present. These types of fruity flavors can include pineapple, pear, cherry, apricot, overly ripened stone fruit, citrus, banana, mango, tropical fruit, apple, black currants, floral/roses. Fruit character can also come from actual fruit, the use of which brewers should declare, as appropriate, for the style category. Aging may minimize, change, or even eliminate fruit-derived flavor and aroma, but generally, flavor and aroma from fruit additions should be vibrant and noticeable.
The “sour” flavor and aroma of beers categorized as “sour beers” is driven by organic acids such as lactic acid and acetic acid, and in the case of fruit sour beers, citric acid and other organic acids derived from fruit. Judges should seek to describe both the flavor characteristics from the acid present in a sour beer, the sourness level, and any mouthfeel sensations such as a pleasant light puckering, or unpleasant burning in the back of the throat. Lactic acid generally comes across as a citrusy and sour flavor. Acetic acid, at low levels, comes across as a tart, sometimes green apple fruitiness. In high levels, acetic acid smells and tastes like vinegar and is considered an off-flavor (see Common Off-Flavors For Sour and Mixed Fermentation Beer below). Lactic acid tends to be less harsh on the throat than acetic acid, and is generally more desired than acetic acid for sour beer styles. However, low levels of acetic acid are often desired in some styles. In general, anywhere from low to high levels of lactic acid can be pleasant or desired in sour beers (consult the individual styles in the guidelines for appropriate level ranges), with higher levels leading to a more sour taste and lower levels leading to a light tartness. Organic acids derived from fruit can increase the overall sourness, or the perception of sourness, and should be taken into consideration by judges for fruit beer styles. While pH is useful for brewing processes, it is generally regarded as an inaccurate way to measure how sour a beer tastes. Instead of using pH to measure perceivable acidity, [[Titratable Acidity]] is considered to be more accurate.
The term “funky” is often used as a catchall for different combinations of individual flavors, and it means different things to different people. Judges should seek to pinpoint the individual flavors from this section’s generic “funky” umbrella, call out those flavors, and quantify the level at which they are present (e.g. “none” to “very high”). For the purposes of this guide and judging sour and mixed fermentation beers, “funky” refers to a range of flavors including medicinal, horse blanket, leather, barnyard animal, dried hay, plastic, smokey, band-aid, clove, goaty, cheesy, waxy, sweaty, solvent, rancid, soapy, oily, white glue, minty, dried rose, eucalyptus, vomit/bile, foot odor, coconut, and vanilla. These flavors are generally derived from phenols and/or fatty acids produced during fermentation by yeasts such as ''Brettanomyces'', ''Pichia'' and other wild yeasts, or bacteria including enteric bacteria (in the case of spontaneous fermentation), lactic acid bacteria, and acetic acid bacteria. Defining whether these individual flavors are “off-flavors” or “desired flavors” can be tricky, but a good rule of thumb is that if a particular “funky” flavor is low enough to not distract the drinker and adds to the complexity and overall enjoyment of the beer, then it should be considered desirable. If, however, the level of a specific flavor is so high that it is off-putting, or distracting from the overall enjoyment of the beer, then it could be considered an off-flavor. Some styles, such as mixed fermentation sour beers and lambic/gueuze, welcome some level of many of these characters. Other styles, such as kettle sours, should have few or none of these flavors.
=Common Off-Flavors For Sour and Mixed Fermentation Beer=
* [https://www.brewerspublications.com/products/gose-brewing-a-classic-german-beer-for-the-modern-era "Gose" by Fal Allen]
* [https://www.milkthefunk.com/wiki Milk The Funk Wiki]
* [[Style_Guidelines_and_Competitions|MTF Wiki - Style Guidelines and Competitions]]
* [[Getting_Started|MTF Wiki - Getting Started]]
* [[FAQ|MTF Wiki - FAQ]]
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk Milk The Funk Facebook group]
* [https://www.bjcp.org/newsletter/navigating-the-wild-judging-american-and-european-wild-ale BJCP Article by Johann Renner Rouliez, with Michael Tonsmiere, Jeff Mello, and Dan Pixley "Navigating the Wild: Judging American Wild and European Sour Ales".]
=Credits=