Hello!
I am struggling with the "buttery" description of Irish Red Ale (15A) in the 2021 BJCP Guide.
Can someone provide a definitive interpretation of the BJCP 15A on whether we are dealing with diacetyl or a toffee-like complex?
1. in the Overall Impression section: "an initial soft toffee or caramel sweetness."
2. In the Aroma section: "or toffee character. Very light buttery character optional."
3. In the Flavor section: "rarely with a light buttered toast or toffee-like quality."
At this point, there is no direct reference to "diacetyl," and the buttery character seems to be associated with toffee. Of course, toffee does indeed have a buttery component, and a number of crystal malts are known to impart toffee notes. I'm not sure what to make of "buttered toast"; it seems to be a blend of toffee and toast malt flavors. If it is a reference to diacetyl, it is an odd choice of words, given that "buttered popcorn" is the standard descriptor, and buttered toast and buttered popcorn are quite different.
Prior to 15A, diacetyl is used exclusively as the descriptor for buttery off flavors. A "butter"-related word appears only once prior to 15A, and that is in the Czech Lager description of "significant buttery diacetyl is a flaw" (BJCP Guidelines 2022, p. 4). "Buttered toast" does not appear elsewhere in the guidelines. This contributes to my confusion.
4. In the Mouthfeel section: "examples containing low levels of diacetyl may have a slightly slick mouthfeel." This is the first direct reference to diacetyl.
So, I'm not sure what we are dealing with here in terms of a buttery character. Are the above terms really descriptions of diacetyl, or are they descriptions of toffee-rich notes that impart a buttery character?
Thanks for your help.
Fritz Schanz
President, Denton County Homebrewers Guild
Certified Judge