Experimental beer

Experimental beer is beer that is produced in or as a new style, using a new recipe, or as a type of beer that does not fit within present beer style criteria or definitions. The term also encompasses minor beer styles that are not covered under any of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) categories, with the exception of Belgian beers. Such minor beer styles may serve "as an incubator" for new potential categories, and may attain an official category if the style becomes of interest to the general public at a sufficient level. The Great American Beer Festival has an experimental beer category as a part of its competition, for which awards are given, as does the World Beer Cup, which also provides awards for beers in this category. The Oregon State Fair has a home brew competition that includes a category for specialty and experimental beers.

Experimental beer may be produced using preparation methods used in craft brewing. Some homebrewers produce experimental beers in efforts to devise unique or flavorful new styles. Some commercial breweries and microbreweries produce experimental beer and offer it to consumers.

The Boston Beer Company, based in Boston, Massachusetts, has produced several experimental beers at their research and development facility Jamaica Plain, Boston, and operates a unique ten-gallon brewery for their production. The company's Triple Bock bottled under the Samuel Adams brand has been described as an experimental beer, which was only released in 1994, 1995, and 1997.

BrewDog, a brewery in Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, has produced experimental beers.

Dogfish Head Brewery, based in Milton, Delaware, has produced a beer named Bitches Brew that has been described as an experimental beer, which is named after the album Bitches Brew by Miles Davis. Some of the ingredients used include unfiltered raw Ethiopian honey, Mauritian brown sugar and "load of dark, roasty grains to balance the sweetness of the honey."

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