"Complex" is a Useless Beer Descriptor

I would rather hear the term complex as in "There's a lot of flavors going on in this beer" than hear someone rattle off the 10 different flavor profiles they can somehow pick out and discern between.

 

This requires a complex response.

 

Complex means I'm able to pick out a lot of flavours that interact very well with each other in a pleasing way. There are beers that have a lot of flavours that just don't work together very well and I call that a muddled mess rather than complex.

 

"Craft" was a term needed in the US to differentiate from the average beer and something that actually tastes good and was produced by a "smaller" brewery. It's irrelevant in most European countries as the rich beer history, culture, and appreciation has always been there.

I see this here in Germany "das craft bier". Anyone that has at least a bit of sense will know that "craft beer" has been brewed here for hundreds of years; it just never needed a "cool" name to categorize it. However, I do have mixed feelings here in Germany about the use of the word and concept of "craft beer". All I know is that I love the stuff that has always been brewed here by small/local/regional breweris and I am glad that Germans are also experimenting and having fun with beer.

 

opinions, opinions. . .

 

The word "complex" is used in the description of Saison/Farmhouse Ales on this site.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/style/129/

 

"Complex- consisting of many different and connected parts" from the Oxford dictionary.

First of all, the dude's article was riddled with typos; nothing complex about proof reading.
Secondly, I completely disagree. I understand the RB style reviews are annoying "pours black, smells roasty, complex, fairly drinkable" are bullshit and can be annoying to read/hear.

However, complexity is something that absolutely can be used to describe a beer just like any other adjective that is not necessarily describing the flavors perceived and or tasted. For example, words like strong, rich, crisp, drinkable, heavy, full/thin bodied, aromatic, refreshing, etc are all just like the term complex. The describe the beer, but not the taste/aroma.

A beer like Hunahpu's is complex. The base beer (Marshall Zhukov) is an incredibly creamy, decadent, sweet, chocolatey beer and with the addition of the peppers, cacao, and vanilla (all of which are very noticeable when drank fresh) you have an imperial stout as complex as it gets with all of the different flavors connecting (melding) to create a beer that without a doubt can be described as "complex". Booyah!

 

Complex is just a way to describe a beer that is multi-dimensional (possessing more than one basic flavor) as opposed to a beer that is one-dimensional. Barrel-aged beers, sours and many Belgian beers are definitely complex. Pale lagers, brown ales and amber ales are mostly simple and one-dimensional. The word “complex” is not a plague to the beer world. What I see becoming more of an issue is the constant overthinking and overanalyzing of the usage of terms and adjectives within the beer world.

 

I think this guy writing this article has a complex....

 

I use the word "complex" as a segue either into or from the varied aromas or flavors that make it an appropriate word to use. It's not a descriptor, it's a descriptor overseeing a variety of descriptors.

 

Who cares? Is someone using that word in a beer review really rustling your jimmies?

 

It seems to me that anything not brewed by BMC is "craft" which begs the question, if InBev buys a highly respected small US brewery and leaves it completely alone, does the beer cease being "craft" as a consequence?
The word is being misused by many people in the UK who only use it to describe keg beer.Whetherit's "craft" or not isn't affected by how it's dispensed to the customer.

 

"Complex," like the word "Delicious" is useless unless you describe in what way the product is complex or delicious.

 

Complex is a term I never use in any review of any product of any type because it means nothing other than you are either trying to be a hipster or don't know what to think of the product. Now, if you say, "complex because..." and go on to explain it then that is OK but the way it tends to be use the most is when people are in hipster mode.

 

"Craft beer" in the UK basically means "hipster beer". Not that there's necessarily anything wrong with the product, but it means "our beer is cooler than yours".

 

Honestly, I think it's fine. Everyone is different, so not every one is going to find figs, or chocolate, or marshmallows, etc. in every beer. So for some people, seeing a beer described as "complex" may mean more than listing Saying a beer is complex implies that it has a lot going on. For example, I'd describe Darkness as a "complex" beer, because it has a lot of different tastes (and I wasn't able to identify all of them). I wouldn't describe Citra Ninja as complex, so right there, you've already got a use for the word.

Is it overused? Maybe. But it's still useful.

 

Often, when I review a beer I will describe the flavors under the "Taste" (duh) section. Then in the "Overall" section I am generally be inclined to summarize the beer. I often use the term "complex" if it is appropriate.

I don't really see why this is a problem unless you ONLY use the term "complex" to describe a beer. "This beer is complex, brah", "Ya, totes complex, yo". Then maybe there's a problem.

Dope

 

Complex is a fitting term for some beers, but I agree that it can be overused and is often used as a crutch of sorts for reviewing beers. However, with the large number of beers with a number of ingredients or simply a beer that has a number of flavors, then the term does have its uses and its merits. I have certainly had a number of beers that I would argue are complex and it plays a large role in my view of that beer, even being a key characteristic for that beer set out by the brewers themselves.

 

You can't say that a word is a useless beer descriptor just because you don't like the way other people use it, or the frequency at which they do so. Or even if you don't think a given beer is "complex." People use words that make sense to them when reviewing beer.

 

If one uses the term they should then be able to point out some of the complexities they are picking up on, right?