CFPS Beer Styles 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which American hop variety, widely known for citrus and grapefruit character, helped define the American IPA style?
- Hallertau Mittelfrüh
- Cascade (Correct answer)
- Saaz
- East Kent Goldings
Correct answer: Cascade
Cascade hops, developed in the US and released in 1972, became the signature variety of American craft IPAs due to their distinctive grapefruit and floral character.
Question 2: What historically distinguishes a porter from a stout?
- Porter predates stout and is generally lighter in body and roast intensity (Correct answer)
- Porters use roasted barley while stouts use only malted barley
- Stouts are always sweeter than porters
- Porters must always be lower in ABV than stouts
Correct answer: Porter predates stout and is generally lighter in body and roast intensity
Porter is the older style that gave rise to stout; stouts were originally just 'stout porters' meaning stronger versions, and today stouts are typically bolder in roast character.
Question 3: Which Belgian beer style is produced by spontaneous fermentation, using wild airborne yeast and bacteria native to the Senne Valley?
- Tripel
- Dubbel
- Lambic (Correct answer)
- Saison
Correct answer: Lambic
Lambic is unique in the beer world for using spontaneous fermentation — wort is exposed to the open air to capture wild Brettanomyces and Pediococcus microflora.
Question 4: What best describes the primary flavor profile of a traditional Märzen/Oktoberfest lager?
- Fruity esters with citrus and tropical notes
- Strong roasted coffee and chocolate character
- Aggressive hop bitterness with resinous pine
- Clean, toasty malt sweetness with low hop bitterness (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Clean, toasty malt sweetness with low hop bitterness
Märzen is a smooth, amber German lager with rich bread and toasted malt character, balanced low bitterness, and a clean, dry finish.
Question 5: What fermentation approach defines all lager beer styles compared to ales?
- Top-fermenting yeast strains at warm temperatures
- Spontaneous wild fermentation in open vessels
- Bottom-fermenting yeast strains at cold temperatures (35-50°F) (Correct answer)
- Kveik yeast fermented at very high temperatures
Correct answer: Bottom-fermenting yeast strains at cold temperatures (35-50°F)
Lagers use Saccharomyces pastorianus, a bottom-fermenting yeast that works best at cold temperatures (35-50°F), producing clean, crisp flavors.
Question 6: What distinguishes a New England IPA (NEIPA) from a classic West Coast IPA?
- Higher IBU rating and more aggressive bittering hops
- Hazy appearance, lower bitterness, and soft juicy hop flavor from dry hopping (Correct answer)
- Use of Belgian yeast strains for fruity esters
- Darker amber color from specialty crystal malts
Correct answer: Hazy appearance, lower bitterness, and soft juicy hop flavor from dry hopping
NEIPA features heavy late/dry hopping for juicy tropical flavor with low bitterness, while remaining intentionally hazy due to hop proteins and yeast.
CFPS Beer Styles 2
Which American hop variety, widely known for citrus and grapefruit character, helped define the American IPA style?