[punatic]

"Ish Kabibble"

[malzig]

I'm with Denny.  "Beer" covers it pretty well! 
Unless you're going into a competition with it, I'm not sure why categorizing it as any particular style is even important.

If you read the thread, you know that he is thinking of entering it into a competition.  Nonetheless, I agree with dmtaylor, it certainly sounds like an American Amber.  Very few beers don't fit reasonably easily into one category or another.

I don't get the problem people have with categorizing beer into styles.  This shorthand is very useful for a lot of reasons.  One of the best being that if you go to a bar, and only had one category called "beer" from which to order, you might get handed anything from an Ordinary Bitter to an Imperial Stout.  Those beers may each have their place, but one may not be what you're looking for on a hot day or if you need to drive in the near future.

Sure you could ask, "Do you have a pale but very hoppy beer around 6% abv", but isn't it nice to just order "an IPA".

[Hokerer]

I don't get the problem people have with categorizing beer into styles.  This shorthand is very useful for a lot of reasons.  One of the best being that if you go to a bar, and only had one category called "beer" from which to order, you might get handed anything from an Ordinary Bitter to an Imperial Stout.  Those beers may each have their place, but one may not be what you're looking for on a hot day or if you need to drive in the near future.

Sure you could ask, "Do you have a pale but very hoppy beer around 6% abv", but isn't it nice to just order "an IPA".

But wait, doesn't saying things like "I don't care about styles, I brew what I like" and calling folks "style nazis" make you cool ?  

[gmac]

Thanks everyone.  I just wanted to know what you think because I was considering taking some bottles to a CABA event next week but now I have to work anyway so that's not gonna happen.

I agree that 98% of what I brew is "beer" that probably doesn't exactly match any particular style and I'm just fine with that.  I basically brew this beer one week and then screw around with something different the next week.  I'm keeping a keg of this Amber Ale on tap most of the time and then rotating in something else (right now it's a mild that isn't too good - too hoppy for the thin malt body).  This week I had to do both because I'm falling behind.  This weeks "Special" is a Rye PA and we'll see in 2 weeks if I hit it or missed it.

My problem is that I am not a recipe person.  I'd prefer to make one up and take the bad with the good and be pleasantly surprised by my successes like I was with this one. 

Not trying to stir up a "style" debate.  I'm a live and let brew sort of person. 
Again, thanks for helping me clarify and especially thomasbarnes for his advice on how I should enter it if I do. 
Graham

[The Professor]

I don't get the problem people have with categorizing beer into styles.  This shorthand is very useful for a lot of reasons.  One of the best being that if you go to a bar, and only had one category called "beer" from which to order, you might get handed anything from an Ordinary Bitter to an Imperial Stout.  Those beers may each have their place, but one may not be what you're looking for on a hot day or if you need to drive in the near future.

Sure you could ask, "Do you have a pale but very hoppy beer around 6% abv", but isn't it nice to just order "an IPA".

But wait, doesn't saying things like "I don't care about styles, I brew what I like" and calling folks "style nazis" make you cool ?  

Oh boy....  didn't mean to upset anyone.
Actually, It was the barleywine talking.  (a favorite 'style' of mine)

I was merely making an observation,  but didn't follow my own rule of not posting immediately after I write.  I guess I could have read the thread more carefully as well, and that's my bad...sorry. 
"Knucklehead Smiff" is my avatar picture for good reason.

As far as hokerer's comment goes, I don't think anything could make me look cool.   
However,  I do concede that some shorthand with regard to talking beer (ie., styles) is indeed helpful.  I just think there's too much obsession about it (and that's not directed at the OP who made the inncocent query).
So yes...the manner in which I expressed my opinion was clumsy at best.   Sorry.

Next round is on me.  Your choice of styles.

[punatic]

As far as hokerer's comment goes, I don't think anything could make me look cool.   

"Knucklehead Smiff" is my avatar picture for good reason.

That's pretty cool   

And really, who cares what others think?

[thomasbarnes]

My problem is that I am not a recipe person.  I'd prefer to make one up and take the bad with the good and be pleasantly surprised by my successes like I was with this one. 

The only problem with that approach is that if you hit gold, you never know exactly how to recreate your recipe. I hope that you keep notes as you go along!

Again, thanks for helping me clarify and especially thomasbarnes for his advice on how I should enter it if I do. 

Actually, I was sort of ripping off Gordon Strong, although I've got some strong opinions of my own about how specialty beers should be entered and judged. Basically, if you enter a beer as a specialty, you want to give the judges as few places to look for faults as possible, and you want to tell them what they should be looking for rather than making them hunt for it.

[thomasbarnes]

But wait, doesn't saying things like "I don't care about styles, I brew what I like" and calling folks "style nazis" make you cool ?  

Only if you're Sam Caligione, a Belgian craft brewer, or can brew beers as good as theirs. Otherwise, it makes you look like a pretentious idiot.

I think of brewing "to style" as being like the foundation courses in drawing (that used to be) taught in art school, or learning to play scales on a musical instrument before you learn to improvise. Mastery of traditional forms, tools and techniques gives you the grounding needed to develop your own personal style.

[denny]

I think of brewing "to style" as being like the foundation courses in drawing (that used to be) taught in art school, or learning to play scales on a musical instrument before you learn to improvise. Mastery of traditional forms, tools and techniques gives you the grounding needed to develop your own personal style.

Well said, Thomas!  How can you hit a target if you don't aim at a target?  Brewing to style gives you the foundation in techniques and ingredients that allows you to brew better beers and the beer you intend to brew when you don't brew to style.

[gmac]

My problem is that I am not a recipe person.  I'd prefer to make one up and take the bad with the good and be pleasantly surprised by my successes like I was with this one. 

The only problem with that approach is that if you hit gold, you never know exactly how to recreate your recipe. I hope that you keep notes as you go along!

I keep pretty exacting notes to the gram and to the minute for everything I do (as well as after pitching and tasting notes).  I've done this brew several times now and tweaked one thing or another (tried a different hops or a slight modification of the grain bill) but each time the base is pretty much the same so I can ascertain what the small differences are. 

When I mentioned not following recipes, I was referring more to following others recipes.  I've brewed this Amber about 5 times now and I'd say each was pretty close the the previous but unfortunately, the prior batch is always gone so I have nothing to compare to .  For the one-off brews, I keep the same notes just so that I can try to do it again if I hit on something I like as I did here.

[akr71]

Thanks everyone.  I just wanted to know what you think because I was considering taking some bottles to a CABA event next week but now I have to work anyway so that's not gonna happen.

Just send them in anyway - you don't have to be there, just your beer.  I sent in 3 entries, but I'm certainly not making the 17+ hour drive just for the awards ceremony.  I just want the judging sheets (though I'd happily accept any prizes or medals).

[bluesman]

Another strategy to employ when entering an elusive beer that you can't quite put your finger on as far as style goes is to enter the beer in a few categories that closely resemble the beer. So in gmac's case, entering the beer in the 7B, 7C, 10B and 10C would cover the potential possibilities. This will hopefully narrow down the beer to a particular style. Again, this is the hope.

[jeffy]

That's getting expensive, both in money and beer!  If he wants the feedback, one cat should be plenty.  If he wants a ribbon, then.....

I often find myself writing "this would score a lot better as a suchandsuch style" in the overall impression section of the score sheet.  If he entered one category and it had a comment like that, then the problem is solved for the next competition.

[thomasbarnes]

I often find myself writing "this would score a lot better as a suchandsuch style" in the overall impression section of the score sheet.  If he entered one category and it had a comment like that, then the problem is solved for the next competition.

That is, assuming the judges in the next competition think along the same lines as you do . . . But, generally, good advice.

[passlaku]

How about American Porter?