Tips for a beer (tasting) newbie

Jason,

You know, everybody tastes things differently. A glance at my profile and some of my reviews will help to illustrate that. I think it's fun to read what others think during/after my tasting. Doing so has enriched my tasting experience.

Don't smoke, drink some water first, and do spend lots of time enjoying the aroma. I use brandy snifters a lot. Many people laughed. I don't care :-)

The more I do it, the better I get at it. Ok, you might chuckle now, but that goes for many things in life, including the skills of tasting. Don't get hung up on what you taste versus others. Relax, enjoy and welcome.

-Chip

 

If I really want to get a feel for a beer no TV no distractions maybe music. Just think about the flavors your getting theres no right or wrong just try to separate flavors and decide what you think they are. Catalog them in your brain and use them for future beers to see what flavors are similar to beers you've had in the past. Most importantly pick out the flavors you like, it will help you and or quality retail employees/bartenders find beers you might also enjoy.

Cheers!

 

Lots of glasses--save them in the box you buy them in to do it again.

Small pours.

Blind really enhances the experience.

Really big stuff last. No Palate Wrecker.

 

Your palate will evolve as it experiences more (craft) beer, so diversify and keep trying new beers. As you read and drink you will become more adept at picking out the nuances in the beer, but bear in mind there is a lot of creative license when it comes to describing beer flavors and aromas (I know I'm guilty of it ).

 

Welcome, Jason, to a hobby that can rapidly dispose of your disposable income.

You've got some great beers/ales available to you there. Try to go to a couple beer fests (Check CAMRA website
http://www.camra.org.uk ), try the real ales, avoid the politics, and follow the advise in the earlier posts. Try some untied pubs to get a greater variety. As you find some new favorites, check the ratings to see who you agree with and that may direct you to other great ales. Above all else - enjoy. Remember, the best beer out there is the one you like.

 

We all start out "just tasting beer." My advice is to be patient and write reviews after careful consideration. The more you articulate the more you will find the words to explain what you find. Also, read a lot of what is written because it will give you the words you couldn't find before. I don't know how many times I've read some one else's review and went "aha" it was this taste or that. Finally, don't be afraid to describe something in a way that seems odd, ie Horse blanket, but is exactly what you feel.

 

The 'beer smell' that you mention is going to be similar, yet different as you gain experience, and won't always be a 'beer smell' but a smell that is unique to that style and to that specific beer.

To get a wide beer-tasting experience in a short period of time will take some planning. I suggest starting with pale ales, then amber ales, brown ales, scotch ales, and then stouts before you get into the IPA and double IPA category. Try going to local brewpubs and order their sampler flights which are typically 4 oz. pours. Go to other breweries and do the same thing. Lagers can also be exciting too so don't ignore them. It's tough for a brewer to make a good pilsner because the light flavor will allow any flaw in the beer to be noticeable, so be aware of that. Go with the darker lagers to start.

If you prefer to do your tasting at home then go to a bottle shop that offers a mix-6 selection of single bottles. Get a 6-pack of all pale ales from different breweries just to see how the taste can vary. Look them up here on BA to see how this community regards each one so that you can begin to discern good from average when compared to your own opinion. It will always be your call for what you like, so don't let the opinion of others influence you, just learn what other opinions are when compared to yours.

Enjoy this great hobby. Consider becoming a homebrewer in the future too. That's a great way to learn about beers from the inside out.

Cheers.

 

Agreed watch those DIpas I drank one at night and the next day my Fbs tasted dull

 

The best training for beer appreciation is drinking beer. That shouldn't be too hard
That said, here are a couple of links to check out:

http://www.bjcp.org/docs/2008_Guidelines.pdf

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

Take them with a grain of salt, adjusting for what you have available locally. Get some of Michael Jackson's books. Reading his description of a specific beer while drinking it is a rare pleasure.

 

Start trying as many different styles and beers as you can. I would start trying a few different styles to see the difference and when you find a style you like try a few different beers in that style. Also try taking notes or even writing reviews on here. I have found that doing this helps me focus on the beer itself and allows me to really find more of the flavors and smells in the beer. It takes practice, your first reviews might not be overly descriptive (I know my early reviews don't have a lot of detail), but you will get better with time.

 

Drink with friends who are SERIOUS about craft brew. They can help you describe beers, argue beers, and generally force you to think about beers.

 

Mate - nothing wrong with a little snakebite!

 

First, welcome to the rest of your life.

Second, "tasting" is all about experience. Get out there, try different things, and try to think about the flavors going into your mouth. Take your time with each beer. Over time you will start to recognize certain flavors and your palate will evolve and become more adept at picking out different flavors. Read the reviews when you drink a beer and look for some of the flavors described. Everyone experiences different flavors, but it will help you recognize them if you have an idea what to look for (it's also an invaluable way to get good flavor descriptors). Pretty soon you'll be picking out the grapefruit, mango, cat pee (!), chocolate, bananas, cloves, esters, etc. You can always just make shit up and sound like a pretentious douchebag I'm front of your non craft friends.

 

I found it to be useful to organize in my head what I was tasting - what I liked, why that tasted that way, etc.
Two great ways to do that is to pay attention to what you are drinking, not only the style, but the hops used, the malts, etc. After a while of doing that, you'll be able to identify the hops on the nose. A part of this process is trying a diversity of styles, not just going after DIPAs and Imp stouts. It's counterintuitive, but I appreciate those beers more (and can better predict which ones I'll love) by understanding what it is about them that I like.
The other great way is to do a little reading. How to Brew will really help you to understand the process. Even if you never brew, you'll appreciate what you like about beer and how two beers are different. There's another classic on tasting beer that I'm blanking on right now.

 

You're probably trying to think of 'Tasting Beer' by Randy Mosher. I have not yet read it, but I see it frequently listed as recommended reading in these threads.

 

Write everything down (electronically will be better to sift through later) and try to compare aspects to other foods you have tried. That will seriously step up your beer knowledge and it really helps you remember what you like/dislike. If you are diligent about this, you will pick out very subtle differences.

 

You will notice the sublties in flavor and aroma eventually. Also, proper glassware makes a difference. Stay away from tobacco, very spicy food and wet your whistle with some water before drinking.

 

You should pick up a copy of Mosher's Tasting Beer

http://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Beer-...8&qid=1391104366&sr=8-1&keywords=tasting+beer