Craft Beer Tasting 101 - Unlocking the Secrets of Flavor

Train your palate to see the nuances in beer. Learn how to evaluate a beer’s appearance, aroma, taste, and aftertaste.

Learn about the history of beer; brewing ingredients and processes; styles; tasting (appearance, aroma, taste, mouthfeel); glassware; and food and beer pairings. Become a craft beer sommelier!

1. Smell

During the brewing process, the yeast converts sugars and carbon dioxide. This creates chemical compounds that give beer its aroma. The type of yeast used will also contribute to the flavor and aroma of the beer. Ale yeast has a fruity smell similar to banana and apples while lager yeast produces a more butterscotch-like aroma.

Malt is another important contributor to the aroma of beer. Breweries use different types of malts to produce a range of flavors from sweet wheat and bready rye to sharp roasted Belgium blends for stouts and porters.

Other ingredients will also affect the aroma of the beer including hops, herbs, spices and even water. The smell of the beer will tell you a lot about how it was made and stored. If it has a musty or skunky smell, the beer could have been spoiled. It could be from a brewery that was improperly stored or packaged or it could just be an off-flavor created by the bacteria during fermentation.

2. Swirl

You can’t simply swill beer down and say “it was great” or “it sucked.” To really experience craft beer, there are some important steps to take. Check craft beer online.

First, you must evaluate the appearance of the beer. The color, clarity and head consistency should all be noted. Then you should swirl the beer gently. This will release aromas, expose slight nuances and loosen the carbonation.

When you’re ready to taste the beer, start at the left side of the glass and move your way right. Note the intensity of the flavors and how well they balance sweetness and bitterness. Also, pay attention to the mouth-feel: does it have a bubbly, tingly carbonation; is it smooth and creamy or thick and heavy? Take your time and enjoy! Lastly, if you have a notepad or smartphone, record your overall impressions. This will help you remember your beer tasting adventures!

3. Taste

Once you've evaluated a beer's appearance, smelled it and swirled it, it's time to taste it. Before you take your first sip, however, make sure that the beer is at its proper temperature. It should also be free of food as certain foods can influence the way that a beer tastes.

When tasting a beer, you want to look for the sweetness and bitterness of it as well as its mouthfeel. The latter refers to how a beer feels inside your mouth; if it's effervescent and bubbly or thin and watery, for example.

It's important to note that you should never chug a beer as this can dilute the flavor of it. Instead, sip slowly and enjoy the experience of tasting a craft beer. It's something that can truly be a blissful experience, especially if you use the tips listed above!

4. Notes

Beer tasting is the process of evaluating the appearance, aroma, and flavor of beer. It is an important skill for craft beer enthusiasts and drinkers to learn to develop their palate and appreciate the nuances of different beers.

Before tasting your beer, make sure it is in a clean glass. The best bars rinse their glasses before serving beer to prevent excessive foaming and remove any residual sanitizer that could taint the taste of the beverage.

Swirl your beer in the glass to experience its full body and texture. Take notes about the intensity of the flavors and the balance between bitterness and sweetness, and compare your impressions to those from the Beerology(tm)beer evaluation sheet.