The International Bitterness Scale (IBU) is used to describe the bitterness of a beer or ale based on its hops content.
The greater the amount of hops used in brewing the greater the IBU.
The bitterness of a beer or ale is also affected by the malt content. A high malt content can result in a beer with a high IBU tasting less bitter than a beer with a lower IBU.
Beverage
IBU
American light lager
5
Belgian lambic
11-23
brown ale, English
15-25
blonde ale
15-30
Oktoberfest
18-25
English bitter
20-35
porter
20-40
brown ale, American
25-45
Irish stout
26-60
Pilsener
30-100
India pale ale
40-100
Guiness stout
45
Imperial stout
50-100
barley wine
100
To read more or access our algorithms and calculators, please log in or register.
