"Tasting" Beer

Many people think a "beer" is a "beer" and that there isn't much of a difference between brands or style. While this may be the case for Bud, Miller, Coors drinkers, it couldn't be further from the truth as one begins to delve into the world of craft brewing. In my next installment, I will be giving a run down of exactly what beer is and what goes into it, but in the meantime I wanted to provide a resource that I find invaluable in teaching what one should look for in tasting different styles of beer:

http://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.php

This link contains PDF's as well as doc versions of the official beer judge tasting guide for a multitude of styles that helps one to get a full appreciation for the subtle differences between different styles of beer. While a lengthy read, pop it open the next time you are trying a new style- this will give you a primer on what to expect in terms of taste and appearance for that next Barley Wine or English IPA! Keep in mind that this is a rough guide for styles- the beauty of beer is that 500 brewers can have their own interpretation of a particular style and that each one will be a little different!

When tasting different beers for the first or 50th time, I try to capture and appreciate the following points:

Appearance- is it hazy, clear, golden, black, etc
Aroma- grapefruit, bubblegum, grass, pine, oak, bread- what are you really smelling?
Taste- often a offshoot of the aroma, what does it taste like? Do you get citrus, Carmel, bread, flowers?
Mouthfeel- is the beer highly carbonated and reminiscent of a champagne, or is a flat, silky imperial stout?
Drinkability- this one is simple: could you enjoyably drink 1 or 10 of them?

These are just some rough guidelines- but really take the time to get the most of of the smell and taste of the whole product from the time it is poured to the way your tongue feels after you swallow it. Also note that a beer will give off strikingly different aromas and taste depending on temperature. Most people are conditioned to drink beer as cold as possible, but trust me- you're often doing yourself a disservice by not drinking the beer at the proper temperature- if anything, drink it cold then let it warm for 30 minutes and try it again to note the differences. You don't drink a Merlot at 32 degrees, why would you double IPA?

Stay tuned, in the comings days I will be posting a primer on what exactly beer is, a simplified overview of making beer, as well as doing a step by step on our most recent beer: Camel Spit Brown Ale!

Cheers, Zum Wohl, Prost, Yung Sing, Skaal, and Santé from the Tangent Brewers!

                                                                        A little preview of our Camel Spit Brown Ale!

And in the beginning

Give a man a beer, and he wastes an hour, but teach a man how to brew, and he wastes a lifetime. This statement is more true than we could have known 1.5 years ago when we decided to take the plunge in brewing our own beers. My name is Nick and my other brew master and contributor is Jarrod, my partner in conversational tangents and brewing alike! 

Our history goes back to our college days in the little Podunk town of Kirksville, Missouri where our love of all things beer was started just a ripe 3 years ago. Like many, we had done the usual transformation from BMC (Bud, Miller, Coors) to wheat beers, to eventually 16% alcohol, oak aged Barley Wines and everything in between. We have spent a number of years trying and testing beer from all over the world and developing a keen palate for hop, grain, and yeast variations and combinations that some might consider bordering insanity- but it’s a passion that many fail to understand until they have that first “ah hah” moment with a beer that ignites their passion. 

We started brewing completely on our own with no help outside of available books and internet knowledge- it has been a ground up endeavor but that is the fun in all of this: anyone can brew, and we hope that we can encourage at least a few other people out there to start making a product that has been the pillar of civilization for centuries! Our learning process has been rocky and imperfect at times- we continue to learn and implement new processes and strategies all the time, but with each new batch we continue to make a better product and try to glean as much as we can from our mistakes. 

Our plan with this blog is to take you along on our journey from the basics of beer making to advanced topics as we learn and implement them in our own brewing. In addition to sharing information about brewing, we plan to share our own beer tastings and document the revitalization of craft brewing, specifically in the St. Louis area. This desire to share is the fundamental pillar of all things brewing- be it information about process or simply sharing our latest brew concoction, there is nothing more enjoyable than both expanding the world of beer for newcomers to sharing a great homebrew with new and old friends alike. Our only request is that you learn and share as much as you can from us and keep passing the battalion of brew knowledge and passion along. Sit back, relax, have a homebrew, and enjoy the ride!