Imperial Beer
Inspired by John Maier of Rogue Ales (Imperial IPA and Imperial Pilsner) and the brewers at Full Sail Brewing (Imperial Porter), the Dixie Cup style committee has selected Imperial Beer as this year’s special category.
Imperial Beers are not for the weak-willed. These beers go to 11. Any recognized BJCP beer style may be brewed, but it must meet the Czar’s standards. Specifically, the beer must exceed the maximum original gravity specified by the BJCP style guidelines by no less than 20 gravity points. For example, an Imperial Robust Porter would retain all the characteristics of a regular Robust Porter, but have a minimum OG of 1.085. If you can brew an Imperial Barleywine or Imperial Doppelbock, we’ll be really impressed, considering that you need to start with an OG of at least 1.140.
Imperial Beers will be judged based on how well the increased gravity is handled while still conforming to the style guidelines of the base beer. You must specify the base beer style on the recipe sheet.
Stout exception: Because Stouts already have an Imperial version, don’t bother entering one unless it’s an Imperial Imperial Stout.