"Complex" is a Useless Beer Descriptor

"Complex" is not a useless descriptor. Apparently, the fellow who wrote that has never had a good quad. They pack a variety of flavors so varied, one cannot write them all down without making the review read like a grocery list.

 

I think it has its place. I.e. an Orval is complex, with that brett going on in the background while the yeast driven phenols work their wonders on a dry gentle grainy backbone. Whereas a good helles is delicate, awesomely flavoursome, but not complex.

Complex (in beer)= several well defined flavours going on together, to good effect (not muddled). Some flavours are usually more pronounced than others, the lesser ones requiring "discovery" by good beer palates.

 

I agree. I think it's a valid term as long as you can describe what's complex about the beer. Just calling a beer "complex" without describing the reason for it's complexity just complicates things.

 

In terms of its use by many on this site, it has become useless.

Most are using it to describe a beer that has bold, in-your-face flavor, rather than complexity.

 

I have a few issues with this article.

First, the author lists a suspension bridge and a commercial jet liner as examples of complexity. I will venture to assume that he deems these "complex" based on their function and the manner in which they are made. Most likely, they are need being designated as complex based on a qualitative aspect.

If the authors uses these examples to indicate complexity, based on how they are made and what they do, then beer is certainly worthy of the complex label as defined by the author. How beer is made and how it interacts with the human body once ingested, are both complex processes based in biology and chemistry. I'd say those are complex realms of science, right?

Moreover, I was even more irritated with the parallel to food; that food has just now somehow become worthy of this false complex modifier. Has the author ever looked at a nutritional label? Food has been complex for some time now.

I feel that this author invalidated his own argument, and is not giving, both the beer and food industries the respect that they deserve.

 

I'll take complex over fruit forward and tropical.

 

What a pretentious article. If wine can be complex, why can't beer be? Wine has a hell of a lot less ingredients than beer does. The definition of the word "complex" is "composed of many interconnected parts" which I would say beer definitely is. "Beer isn't complex, your palate just isn't refined enough to taste and identify all the different flavors." Give me a break...

 

I'm not opposed to the word "complex" when describing beer, wine, or whatever. It certainly beats descriptions like "reminiscent of just picked dew covered mulberries with hints of birch bark and cat pee." WTF does that crap even mean?

 

Why? Most American IPAs aren't complex, they're one dimensional. I think "fruit forward" and "tropical" does a great job describing the overwhelming and dominating flavors in those beers.

Sure there's more to it than those two descriptions, but many members of this site take the first sip of a huge double IPA and think, "Wow, there's so much flavor going on! What a complex beer!" The former statement is correct, the latter is not.

 

I should have said that the "forward" suffix just irks the shit out of me. Malt forward annoys me equally. Fruity and malty suffice. Tropical, we'll according to what I hear round these parts, people use the term far too often and sometime incorrectly. If something tastes like tangerine it is not tropical. Or is it?

 

I have an example that may may more sense than the suspension bridge. I think he may have been going for "construction" but I did not read the article, just the thread. When you make hot cocoa, you use cocoa, sugar to enhance that, milk to make it creamy and then for complexity you add vanilla to make the chocolate richer and add fragrance and coffee to add a touch of bitterness and earth to the sweetened milk. Those flavors and ingredients all working in combination to enhance and enrich one another is "complex" and the same is true in beer. When each aspect brings out the others, when they achieve harmony and when you can realize and enjoy each one as well as the whole.

 

I disagree. Some beers are very one dimensional. Others have varying layers of complexity. There is nothing wrong with stating the beer is complex, and then explaining why.

 

Every beer has a certain level of "complexity". Using that term is just a lazy way of describing what you're tasting/smelling.

 

Articles like these generally just remind me that the author responsible for these multi paragraph lobs for linguistic superiority are probably fairly recent converts to good beer themselves because they are offended by a rather common phrase. p.s. it's winter, so the beers seasonly trend towards being; er, AH...COMPLEX!

 

complex is relative. i think some beers are complex.

 

I read the article. I disagree with the author because he doesn't give good craft beer the credit it deserves. He's lumping good craft beer in with average beer.

 

Many times I use the word "complex" as a short cut to describe what I assume other beer drinkers know I mean - to keep all your senses open, because this thing is going to dance. I'm not the biggest fan of writing reviews, and people's palates are each different enough that a long descriptive account, in many cases, is just completely self serving.

 

It's about as uselful as "flavorful", "aromatic", etc. It's a matter of degree on a scale of simplicity/complexity. It's a base coat for offering elaboration - what's complex/flavorful/aromatic about it? I use it all the time, actually.

 

"It seems some people want to elevate beer to a higher spot on the totem pole maybe to feel superior or equal to the wine enthusiast. Or maybe to the scotch connoisseur or the brandy drinker who sips his brandy in a smoking jacket."

I don't know about totem poles or smoking jackets. But I see absolutely nothing wrong with elevating beer.

 

Why does anyone care? If the use of the term "complex" is used, does it lessen your enjoyment of the beer in any way when you drink it?