Beer Appreciation

There are four major categories that should be considered when tasting beer:

1. Appearance
2. Aroma/Bouquet
3. Taste
4. Overall Impression

1. APPEARANCE
Head Retention and Appearance – A certain amount of head retention is desirable in most beers but is largely a matter of preference. Generally speaking, no head or an excessive amount of head (that interferes with drinking) are equally undesirable. Head retention is influenced by the ingredients used in brewing. Generally, the more dextrinous the beer, the better the head retention. All barley malt beers tend to have creamier heads. Head retention suffers greatly in the presence of oils and waxes or when beer is served in a dirty glass.

Clarity – Some beers are not meant to be clear. More often than not, the clarity has little effect on the flavor of the beer. Beer that is normally clear at room temperature may develop a haze due to protein in the beer. This haze, called a chill haze, has very little influence on flavor. However, some hazes that may develop in beer are due to bacterial or wild yeast contamination and will not go away at room temperatures. If a bottle-conditioned beer is being considered for its clarity, a careful pouring is important so that the natural yeast sediment is not disturbed.

2. AROMA/BOUQUET
The careful perception of aroma and bouquet of beer must be made within the first three or four sniffs; after that perception is dulled and not as acute.

Aroma – The aroma of beer can be defined as the smell of beer relative to the malt and grain. Malt contributes directly to many aromatics that we can perceive. The most common aromas are those of malty sweetness or graininess. Malt contributes indirectly to many other aromas that are the result of fermentation. The most significant and noticeable aromas are those contributed by esters.

Esters may give a beer a fruity aroma reminiscent of apples, raspberries, strawberries, bananas, pears, grapefruit and others. Esters are often desirable to some degree and are particularly noticeable in stronger light beers. Bouquet – The bouquet in beer can be defined as the aromatics that hops contribute to beer. The bouquet of beer will vary to a great degree. When it is present, it can be described as flowery, spicy, pungent, etc.

Odors – Odors may be attributed to aromatics due to defects in the beer. Defective beer can be the result of mishandling (extreme temperature changes or agitation), bacterial contamination, oxidation or being “light struck.” Some of the more common odors associated with defective beers can be described as acidic, skunky (light-struck) or garbagy.

3. TASTE
The actual flavor of beer is quite complex. Everyone has his or her own way of describing flavors and their importance in the overall perception. The following is an outline to help summarize the taste of beer.

Your tongue perceives four different tastes. They are the perceptions of bitter, sour, salt and sweet.

Bitterness is perceived on the back of the tongue; sourness on the sides of the tongue; sweetness is perceived on the tip of the tongue; and saltiness is perceived just to the rear and on either side of the tip of the tongue.

4. OVERALL IMPRESSIONS
Distilling your impressions into a meaningful summary can become an involved and attentive process. What follows is a useful simplification that does not detract from the essential enjoyment that you should be experiencing.

TASTE

A. Bitter/Sweet-Malt/Hop/Fermentation BALANCE
Generally speaking, most beers are made in a way so that fuller-bodied and sweeter beers are balanced with more bitterness. Likewise, a light-bodied beer will not be as highly hopped (bitterness). A light-bodied beer that is excessively bitter is not in balance. A full-bodied, sweeter beer that lacks hop bitterness (except in the special case of sweet stouts and the like) is usually not in balance.

B. MOUTH-FEEL
This taste sensation describes how the beer feels (literally) in your mouth. It can be described as being full-bodied or light-bodied. A particular style of beer will determine the appropriate fullness or lightness of body. The unfermented sugars and dextrins contribute to the degree of fullness. A diet light beer would be classified as light-bodied. An Irish stout would be classified as full-bodied.

C. AFTERTASTE
The sensation is experienced after the beer has been swallowed. (Beer drinkers don’t spit it out!) Sometimes an otherwise good-tasting beer will leave an unpleasant aftertaste (bitter, sweet, sour, astringent, fuzzy). The aftertaste of a good beer should be clean and not cloying. It should by all means encourage you to have another.

D. CARBONATION
The tactile feel of bubbles in the mouth perceptibly determines the degree of carbonation. The feel of the bubbles can also vary with the ingredient used. A big and explosive bubble feeling in the mouth is due to the use of fermentable ingredients other than barley malt. A beer made with all barley malt will tend to have a smaller (almost creamy sensation) bubble feeling in the mouth. Over or under carbonation can also influence flavor. A highly carbonated beer will tend to be more acidic. As it goes flat, so does the flavor.

E. OVERALL IMPRESSION – DRINKABILITY
This is the final “category” that you might consider when determining how you appreciate this beer. It is the most personal and subjective of the categories, but if you are taking notes it is probably the most important to consider. The best way to use this category of perception is to determine whether or not you really enjoy the beer for what it is meant to be. Even if you don’t particularly like a stout or diet light pilsner, you can still appreciate it for what it is meant to be for others. Keep this in mind.