Taste Craft Beer Like a Pro
September 18, 2009 | By
If the only beer you have ever had came out of a can from the supermarket, then it is time to introduce your taste buds to the world of craft beer. Like any other craft in the handmade world, brewing beer is an art, and craft brewers strive to create a beverage that is both superior in quality and varied in taste when compared to the standard mass produced beer. Since craft brewers produce less than 15,000 barrels of beer per year, they have time to experiment with new recipes and fine-tune the ingredients of their current product.
So much thought goes into the production of a craft beer that it would be a shame simply to throw it down the back of your throat without allowing time to savor the flavor. Like tasting fine wines, there is a technique to tasting fine craft beers. This technique will allow you to both identify the primary ingredients and decide what type of foods would complement it best.
Preparing the Beer
You thought all there was to know about serving beer was how to pour it at a 45-degree angle down the side of the glass to control the size of the head, didn’t you? While that is an important tip, there is a bit more to serving beer than that. Different types of beer actually have optimum serving temperatures. The rule of thumb is the paler the beer, the colder it should be when served. Pale lagers are best at 45-50 degrees F (just out of the refrigerator), while darker ales and stouts are best at a warmer 55-60 degrees F (just cooler than room temperature). All shades in between are usually best at 50-55 degrees F.
Also, make sure your glassware is squeaky clean. Any residue left on the glass will ruin the head and prevent you from examining the visual characteristics of the beer. If there are water spots on the glass, try washing it by hand with baking soda and hot water, and then dry with a soft cloth. Never taste a new beer for the first time out of a bottle, as you will be missing several of its unique characteristics.
Are you ready to try the beer now? Just one moment—you still need to cleanse your palate. The best way to taste beer is without food, lest any flavors lingering on your tongue from the food mask the characteristics of the beer. Cleanse the palate by rinsing the mouth with water, and if you are worried about the alcohol going to your head, eat some plain crackers before taking that first sip of beer.
Now pour the beer and let’s get started!
Appearance
First examine the beer to make sure it is worthy of your taste buds. Hold the beer in front of a white background and examine the color, but do not hold it directly in front of a light as this will alter the color. Pale beers tend to be lighter and crisper in flavor than the heavier tasting, darker beers.
Observe the color of the head, as this will be an indicator to how strong the flavor is. Again, the darker the head, the heavier the flavor. Most heads are white but they can be brown on stouts and dark ales. The head also indicates how well carbonated the beer is, as a good head should last at least a minute before it begins to fall.
Note the clarity of the beer. If it is cloudy, then it had better be a hefeweizen or other beer labeled as unfiltered, or you should question whether the beer is contaminated. However, don’t panic if you see yeast at the bottom of the glass. This is supposed to be drunk with the beer and adds another component to the flavor.
Scent
Everyone knows that smell is linked to taste, or you would still be able to taste things when your nose is stuffed up. For this reason, you want to make sure to smell the beer before you take your first sip. Gently swirl the beer in the glass to release its aromas, and then sniff it twice as the wine tasters do it: once with your mouth closed, then once with your mouth open. Close your eyes and let the scent linger in your nose and mouth.
What does it smell like? Floral or pine scents indicate hops, which is ironically the ingredient that tends to give beer its bitterness. Nutty or coffee scents indicate malt, which makes for a sweeter beer. Moreover, craft beers may have any mixture of spices or fruits added to give it a unique flavor.
Beware of the “skunky” beer. You will know it when you smell it. A skunky has been exposed to too much light and has oxidized, which is why most beers are bottled in dark glass bottles.
Taste
Here is the moment you’ve been waiting for! Take a sip of the beer, but don’t swallow immediately. Make sure it touches all the different areas of your tongue before you decide if it is sweet or bitter. Take note of the mouth feel. Is it thin and fizzy or thick and syrupy? Does the body feel light or heavy in your mouth?
If you can, try to exhale a bit (without spitting all over everyone, mind you) before swallowing. This will let your sense of smell once again mingle with your sense of taste. After swallowing, note if there is any lingering flavor on your tongue. This is called the finish, and in the rare beer, it may be completely different from the initial taste.
Now that you know the proper way to taste beer, have fun sampling the beers of craft brewers in your area. The more you try, the more you will know what you like in a beer. Just remember to drink responsibly.
Photos courtesy of Nick Vaka
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S. Vaka has a love for all things creative and feline, and the only thing keeping her from becoming a crazy cat lady is her encouraging and indulgent husband. You can follow their adventures at CrochetKitten.com.
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