When you choose a new bottle from our webshop, you will always see three numbers at the bottom: an IBU, an EBC, and an alcohol percentage. For connoisseurs, it is a handy compass, but for those just starting to discover craft beer, it can quickly feel like a secret code. While it is actually quite simple and rather nice to know before you take that cap off.
What does that IBU actually say?
IBU stands for International Bitterness Units, and indicates how much bitterness the hops impart to the beer. A low number, somewhere around 10 to 20? Then you can expect a soft, round beer. If it creeps towards 40, 50, or higher, you are dealing with a robust IPA that will really hit you hard.
A small caveat: a lot of malt or a high alcohol content can make that same bitterness feel very different. So view the IBU as a handy compass, not an exact science.
The fresher the hops, the sharper the bitterness. That is why IBU actually starts with the plant itself.
And the EBC: why is the color so different?
The EBC (European Brewery Convention) describes the color of the beer: from straw yellow for a low number (think of a lager or a blonde beer) through amber and copper, to earth-dark and black for a high number, such as with a stout.
Color and taste, by the way, do not always coincide. A pitch-black stout can be surprisingly mild, while that light yellow bottle next to it can actually come across as quite spicy. So never let the glass surprise you alone.
And the percentage: is that just “how strong”?
Not only that. The alcohol percentage also says something about the character of a beer. The robust tripels, dubbels, and quadrupels in our range (often somewhere between 8 and 11%) usually have a fuller, sweeter malt character. That makes sense: simply more malt was needed to achieve that.
More malt, more body, and usually a higher percentage as well.
So what do you do with these three digits?
Put them side by side and you actually already have a little preview, even before you take the cap off. Low IBU, high EBC, a robust percentage? Expect something full-bodied and sweet, delicious with a piece of chocolate or a hearty winter stew. High IBU, low EBC? Then you are probably looking for something fresh and bitter, great with fatty snacks or simply on a summer terrace.
You will find these numbers with every beer in our webshop, so you never have to guess blindly which bottle suits your evening again. And should you happen to guess wrong: that is simply called tasting.