BJCP Style 4: Dark Lager
4C.  Schwarzbier

Examples: Kostritzer Schwarzbier, Samuel Adams Black Lager
Serving Temp: 40°- 45°
Glassware: Pilsner, Pint, Seidel or Stein

Aroma: Hints of roasted malt that can be coffee like (but never burnt) are present.
Appearance: Pours dark brown with garnet highlights around the edges and a long lasting tan head.
Flavor: A light biscuity malt sweetness balanced by a light bitter-chocolate layer, noble hops (herbal/spicy) and a clean lager finish.
Mouthfeel: Medium body and smooth.

Food Pairings: Cuisine: German, Mexican or other hearty and/or spicy foods. Meat: smoked or grilled.

HopHeadSaid: This subcategory is my favorite of the Dark Lagers.   Schwarzbiers are a perfect mix of sweet malt, smooth bitter chocolate and just a touch of roastiness. The beer also has a crisp and refreshing lager quality.  This is great beer to pair with other foods because its moderation (flavor, alcohol and body) keep the beer from dominating any pairing. Also, its light roastiness resonates with many grilled or lightly smoked meats.

BJCP Style 4: Dark Lager
4B.  Munich Dunkel 

Examples: Gordon Biersch Dunkels, Hofbrau Dunkel, Konig Ludig Dunkel
Serving Temp: 40°- 45°
Glassware: Pilsner, Pint, Seidel or Stein

Aroma: A complex malt sweetness that includes bread crust, hints of caramel or toffee and a touch of chocolate.
Appearance: Pours a dark copper to brown with garnet highlights with a creamy tan head.
Flavor: As it smells, light bread crust with a very light but sweet caramel/toffee and bitter chocolate layer.
Mouthfeel: Medium-full, rich smooth texture and a pronounced

Food Pairings: Cuisine: German or other hearty and/or spicy foods Meat: smoked or grilled meat.
HopHeadSaid: Coming Soon!

BJCP Style 4: Dark Lager
4A.  Dark American Lager 

Examples: Dixie Blackened Voodoo Lager, Heineken Dark Lager
Serving Temp: 40°- 45°
Glassware: Pilsner, Pint

Aroma: Little or no malt (slight roast or caramel if any) or hop (hint of spice if any) aromas.
Appearance: Pours dark amber to brown with red highlights with a short-lived light tan head.
Flavor: Crisp and clean with low levels of caramel sweetness.  There may be a hint of coffee or molasses but strong roasted malt flavors should not be present. Hop bitterness is low.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium body

Food Pairings: Cuisine: German or other hearty and/or spicy foods. Meat: smoked or grilled meat.

HopHeadSaid: Even though the subcategory says Dark American Lager you can see that there are international examples as well. As a matter of fact Heineken Dark Lager spent some time as my go to beer.  This is an incredibly easy drinking style with a clean lager taste (very little fruitiness), sweet caramel and cocoa notes and very little bitterness.

BJCP Style 1e.  Dortmunder Export

Examples: Ayinger Jahrhunder, Gordon Biersch Golden Export,
Serving Temp: 35°- 40°
Glassware: Flute or Pilsner

Aroma: Low to medium noble hops with a pronounced malt sweetness.  May have low DMS but no diacetyl.
Appearance: Light gold to deep gold and clear with persistent white head.
Flavor: Balanced between malt sweetness and hop bitterness. Some minerals and hop bitterness may be present in the finish but it should be clean tasting with no fruity esters or diacetyl.
Mouthfeel: Medium body and medium carbonation.  Smooth.

Food Pairings: Cuisine: German or other hearty and/or spicy foods. Cheese: soft and mild (ex. Gouda, Havarti). Meat: Pork, Poultry, or Seafood.

HopHeadSaid: Dortmunder Exports are characterized by their balance. Everything from its color and aroma to its mouthfeel and flavor is in balance.  This medium-bodied beer pours crystal clear, light to deep gold in color and produces a long lasting head.  A sweet malty aroma is void of any fruity esters but a light noble hop –herbal or spicy - aroma balances it.  The initial malt sweetness is balanced by a crisp medium carbonation and a light hop bitterness that lingers after each drink.

As a side note, export is a beer strength category. Historically “export” meant the beer had a higher alcohol content, which provides extra stability in shipping the beer long distances, but almost always an “export” beer it is charged a higher tax in its home country because of the elevated alcohol content.

BJCP Style 1d.  Munich Helles

Examples: Hacker- Pschorr Münchner Gold, Paulaner Premium Lager, Spaten Premium Lager.
Serving Temp: 35°- 40°
Glassware: Flute or Pilsner

Aroma: Grainy sweet, clean with a low to medium noble hop aroma.  No fruity esters or diacetyl should be present.
Appearance: Medium yellow to pale gold with a creamy white head. Clear.
Flavor: Slightly sweet and malty with a low to medium-low hop bitterness and flavor.  There should be a clean, malty finish with no fruity esters or diacetyl.
Mouthfeel: Medium body and carbonation.

Food Pairings: Cuisine: German or other hearty and/or spicy foods. Cheese: soft and mild (ex. Gouda, Havarti). Meat: Pork, Poultry, or Seafood.

HopHeadSaid: This style is a medium-bodied, malt showcase beer.  Because this is a German beer there are no adjuncts used in brewing and the all malt recipe produces a smooth beer that is more filling. The flavor is malt driven meaning that the hops play a supporting role by balancing the grainy sweetness.  There will be a subtle spicy hop aroma and flavor but no fruity esters from the yeast hiding under the malt.  The beer will pour a pale gold and crystal clear with a medium lasting creamy white head, again resulting from the all malt recipe.  A medium carbonation ensures the smooth malt flavor shines through without a carbonic bite.

BJCP Style 1c.  Premium American Lager

Examples: Full Sail Session, Red Stripe, Stella Artois
Serving Temp: 35°- 40°
Glassware: Pilsner

Aroma: Low malt and low hops. A slight grainy, sweet or corn-like aroma may be present.  Green apple, DMS or fruitiness optional may also be present.  Diacetyl should not be present.
Appearance: Pale straw to gold. Low head retention. Very Clear.
Flavor: Low hop flavor and bitterness. Even balance. No diacetyl or fruitiness.
Mouthfeel: Light-med body. High carbonation.

Food Pairings: All malt versions of these medium bodied beers pair well with light salads and creamy cheeses such as Brie.  The relatively high carbonation helps to cleanse savory flavors off the palate.

HopHeadSaid: Premium American lagers are similar to Lite and Standard American lagers but the major difference is in the ratio of malt used to brew these beers.  Adjuncts may be used but at smaller quantities and this increases the body and darkens the beer slightly - pale straw to golden.  The increased malt proportions mean the beer will also need more hops to balance the beer’s sweetness so these beers will have an increased hop aroma (herbal or floral) and an increased bitterness.  Even with a higher bitterness level, you may perceive these beers to be maltier because the hops are used only to “cut” the malt sweetness and not make it bitter and do nothing to tamp back the malt flavor.  These beers are still highly carbonated and refreshing but the increased malt proportion increases the body and makes these beers a little more filling.

BJCP Style 1b.  Standard American Lager

Examples: Budweiser, Miller High Life, Pabst Blue Ribbon
Serving Temp: 35°- 40°
Glassware: Pilsner

Aroma: Light to no malt aroma with little to light spicy or floral hops.   A slight grainy, sweet or corn-like aroma will be present. A green apple, DMS, or fruitiness may be present but absolutely no diacetyl.
Appearance: Pours pale straw to medium yellow with a white frothy head but very little retention. Crystal Clear.
Flavor: Crisp and dry with a light grainy or corn-like sweetness. No to low hop flavor or bitterness, No diacetyl or fruitiness should be present.
Mouthfeel: Light body, high carbonation.

Food Pairings: Anything.  There is very little taste to these beers but their medium bodies and crisp refreshing nature make them a good substitute for water …. if you just finished some yard work and you are worried about your water quality.

HopHeadSaid: There is very little difference between Lite American Lagers and Standard American Lagers.  They have very little hop or malt aroma,  a white frothy head that dissipates quickly and adjuncts are still used to lighten the body and dry out the finish. Standard American lagers are also highly carbonated which increases their perceived bitterness and thirst quenching ability.

Standard American Lagers vary slightly from each other in the malty to bitterness ratio but most are balanced to appeal to the broadest range of drinkers. These beers are the big brothers to the lite lagers.  They can have a slightly higher bitterness and they can be slightly darker ranging from pale straw to a medium yellow.  These beers light to light-medium in body and are also slightly higher in alcohol.

BJCP Style 1a.  Lite American Lager

Examples: Bud Light, Miller Light, Sam Adams Light
Serving Temp: 35°- 40°
Glassware: Pilsner

Aroma: Grainy, husky with just a hint malt; sweet corn aroma covers up any hops that are present.  
Appearance: Pale golden and crystal clear.  Short lived white head with tight small to medium bubbles.
Flavor: Crisp and dry with slight corn like sweetness.  Little hop flavor, bitterness and aftertaste.  Even balanced and no faults for the style.
Mouthfeel: Refreshing carbonation, very much like carbonated water with a slight carbonic bite and light body.  
Food Pairings: Anything.  These beers are so bland that you would be better off drinking seltzer water and save yourself the calories.  They are good for washing the savory flavors off the palate.

HopHeadSaid: It probably comes as no surprise that this is a Budmiloors love fest. The beers in this category have very little hop or malt aroma.  When poured into a glass there may be a white frothy head but it quickly dissipates.  The color ranges from pale straw to light yellow.  There may be a slight corn-like sweetness present from the use of adjunct grains – corn or rice.  The adjuncts also lighten the body and dry out the finish for a “refreshing or thirst quenching” quality.  Lite American lagers are highly carbonated which produces a “carbonic bite” and adds to the light finish and perceived bitterness.  Because these beers are generally lower in alcohol and calories they may seem watery.

BJCP Style 3b.  Oktoberfest/Marzen

Examples: Hacker-Pschorr Original Oktoberfest, Paulaner Oktoberfest, Sam Adams Oktoberfest
Serving Temp: 35°- 40°
Glassware: Pint, Mug, Seidel or Stein

Aroma: Pronounced toasted bread but no fruity esters, diacetyl or caramel. There should be no hop aroma.
Appearance: Deep gold to orangy copper, crystal clear and a thick off-white head.
Flavor: Malt forward with a toasted malt sweetness gives way to a balanced hop bitterness before the beer can become too sweet.  These beers should have a clean lager finish with no fruity esters, diacetyl or caramel sweetness.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, medium body with a creamy texture.

Food Pairings: Cuisine: German or other hearty and/or spicy foods. Cheeses: with spicy (hot) peppers. 

HopHeadSaid: Oktoberfests were my gateway beers from the American light lagers to the more flavorful world of imports and craft beer.  I think the reason they are such great starter beers for Budmiloors drinkers is because they are smooth, well balanced beers without any fruity esters.  They also pair well with foods because their toasty malt character resonates with almost any toasted, browned or cooked foods. 

BJCP Style 3a.  Vienna Lager

Examples: Gordon Biersch, Negro Modello
Serving Temp: 35°- 40°
Glassware: Pint, Mug, Seidel or Stein

Aroma: Lightly toasted bread, no diacetyl, fruity esters or caramel.  Low or no noble hop aroma.    
Appearance: Light to dark copper with red highlights; large off-white head.
Flavor: Complex toasty malt flavors balanced by hop bitterness before it can become sweet.  Dry finish but hops and malt linger in the aftertaste,
Mouthfeel: Medium body with a smooth creamy texture.

Food Pairings: Meat: pork, poultry.  Cuisine: German or Latin American.
HopHeadSaid:  This is a great beer for you to expose your Budmiloors drinking friends to. Vienna lagers are well balanced beers, not too hoppy and malt forward.  You are likely to hear “I don’t like dark beers!” (like a Vienna lager is dark) from your friends but don’t give up and be forceful if you have to.  This will be their gateway beer into the “dark” beers as they will start to learn that dark doesn’t always mean bitter.