Blind Flight

I have always wanted to do a blind taste test with IPA's. I never got around to doing it. Also I feel like the shelf should be similar to all the beers in the blind taste taste.

 

Not sure if this is over the top, or an easier way to do this, but I did a very mini (two bombers) blind (bottle only, as we did see the beer) test with two imperial stouts.

1. bought the bottles, brought them home.
2. covered both caps and necks with duct tape so I can't see any labelling, markings, etc.
3. set both bottles on the floor in front of me and placed two pages of newspaper behind me.
4. I closed my eyes and shuffled both bottles around until I couldn't figure out which was which and did the same with the newspaper (thought being that I didnt' want to recognize a particular page going on a bottle).
5. eyes still closed, wrapped up the bottles and then finally taped them.
6. Shnared the bottles with two other people and we had both beers poured in to two glasses for each of us.
7. Was fun commenting on the difference of head size and color, aroma and color of beer before we tasted them.

Only I knew what two bottles they were, but I didn't know which was which at the time of drinking. The other two had no clue about any information other than the style.

This was purely for our enjoyment of doing it, and for no other reason.

 

THAT is a neat way to study. Signed up for my Level 1 to take in March of '15. I might have to sort of try this, and see what exactly happens.

 

and you did the same for me. McLaddens pub near me has 105 beers on tap and it would be fun to ask the bartender to pour me a random flight and not tell me what they are until after I drink them.

 

I think similar. I just want to see how close the golden stout comes to some coffee stouts of similar abv. Good suggestions for that lineup.

 

I agree that this can be quite fun, but certainly don't do it very often (though perhaps I should).

A buddy of mine throws an annual Oktoberfest party where growler fills of all of the local breweries Oktoberfest/harvest beers are sampled and everyone fills out a sheet with their best guesses and the most accurate receives a prize of some sort (but let's be honest, we're all winners).

 

we do blind tastes tests almost exclusively during the Better Beer Authority shoots. It can be a bitch trying to figure it out, but it is a lot of fun. The other day after we were done, one of the panelist says, "Had I know it was xxx beer, I would have given it a higher rating."

 

In relation to the 'favorite IPA hop' thread, I'm liking the idea of organizing a tasting like this for an IPA with different hop varieties. Trying to narrow those down without the help of the label could be a great learning tool.