Malt Flavor Descriptors

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by VikeMan, Jun 2, 2015.

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  1. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,043) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I want to compile a list of Malt Flavor Descriptors to use in a little bit of data mining. You know, like "bisquity," "toffee," "sweet," "roasty," etc. Please add any that you can think of in this thread... just the descriptors, not the malts that go with them. I'll divulge later what this was about. TIA!
     
  2. CurtFromHershey

    CurtFromHershey Initiate (0) Oct 4, 2012 Minnesota

    Adding to your list:

    Bready
    Caramel
    Spicy
    Corny
    Grainy
    Syrupy
    Toasty
    Plum/prune
    Raisin
    Fig
    Licorice/Anise
    Chocolate
    Acrid
    Bitter
    Molasses
    Brown sugar
    Honey
     
  3. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,611) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society

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  4. bushycook

    bushycook Initiate (0) Jan 31, 2011 Virginia

  5. Brew_Betty

    Brew_Betty Initiate (0) Jan 5, 2015 Wisconsin

    Some that haven't been mentioned with words or a link-

    Cracker - certain combinations of malt and yeast will taste and smell like a Saltine cracker minus the salt. For example, Vienna, white wheat, melanoidin and German ale yeast (wy1007) will make a tasty cracker beer.

    Sourdough bread - occurs when a liberal amount of Briess Special Roast malt is used.

    Grape or Nag Champa incense - occurs when you brew a Saison with Castle pilsner.
     
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  6. CurtFromHershey

    CurtFromHershey Initiate (0) Oct 4, 2012 Minnesota

    This reminds me:

    Nutty
     
  7. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,274) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

  8. MarriedAtGI

    MarriedAtGI Initiate (0) Feb 26, 2013 Illinois

    Coffee. I find it to be very distinct from roasty.

    There is also a fruitlike sweetness from great Munich Helles that I've never been able to name precisely.
     
  9. sjverla

    sjverla Initiate (0) Dec 1, 2008 Massachusetts

    Vanilla wafer. I get it from hitting precisely the right Amber/Crystal combo.
     
  10. hopfenunmaltz

    hopfenunmaltz Pooh-Bah (2,611) Jun 8, 2005 Michigan
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Well, not Helles, but in a traditional Bock I get a grape character from the Munich malt.
     
  11. MarriedAtGI

    MarriedAtGI Initiate (0) Feb 26, 2013 Illinois

    Very interesting. Grape is the closest I have come to naming it, but it doesn't really match any grape I can recall. I think I'll just stick with grape since that's what I always think of when I taste it.
     
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  12. HerbMeowing

    HerbMeowing Maven (1,271) Nov 10, 2010 Virginia
    Trader

    Moldy (an AHS proprietary product)
     
  13. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,176) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I sometimes get peanut butter in Munich malt. Not sure that this is the same as nutty.
    Cocoa (maybe not the same as chocolate?).
     
    #13 pweis909, Jun 3, 2015
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2015
  14. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,176) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I don't disagree, but there is some irony here -- ask people to name flavors that they detect in coffee and they will develop a similarly long list, probably with a lot of overlap. Everything tastes like everything? One flavor I get in coffee sometimes is maple syrup. Does anyone ever taste this in malt? I can't recall.
     
  15. inchrisin

    inchrisin Pooh-Bah (2,013) Sep 25, 2008 Indiana
    Pooh-Bah

    You forgot leather and pepper.
     
  16. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,176) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Tastes like chicken.
     
  17. PortLargo

    PortLargo Pooh-Bah (1,737) Oct 19, 2012 Florida
    Pooh-Bah Society

    It can only be that Alex Trebek has tasked you to make a "malt flavor" category for Jeopardy.

    For the Daily Double: "graham cracker-like" . . . missed that one on the test and will probably never encounter it.
     
  18. bushycook

    bushycook Initiate (0) Jan 31, 2011 Virginia

    Biscuit malt!
     
  19. Brew_Betty

    Brew_Betty Initiate (0) Jan 5, 2015 Wisconsin

    Don't forget bacon. Mmmm bacon from Briess cherrywood smoked malt.
     
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  20. utahbeerdude

    utahbeerdude Maven (1,374) May 2, 2006 Utah

    Bread crust.
     
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