"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!