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Ever felt that you're sitting around your local watering hole, having your usual, and suddenly you start to notice things about what's in your glass? I mean beyond just getting tipsy from it. You're probably starting to form an opinion. Don't panic. Believe me, this isn't a bad thing. Sure, you might never look at a beer the same way again. But while change is scary, you're going to experience a brand new world forming around you.
This thread is about just that. Share your beer experience and help others climb the ladder from their regular premium lager to a bitter American IPA, a Belgian Strong Ale, a Trappist or a messed up Barley Wine.
Rating beer? That sounds pretentious and hard.
Shit, this isn't wine tasting. You're not supposed to be able to identify which grapes made the morning-dew sour gusto in a $24,000 1978 Montrachet taste like a pale spring morning after rain. You don't have to wear a tux and cite the Divine Comedy in italian. "Tasting" beer is no different than telling Minnie Ripperton from Ozzy Osbourne. Besides it's. fucking. beer. It's just that awesome.
Is there really any difference to beer?
Well there can't have been much variety in what you've tasted, can there? Pfft. There's an infinite amount of styles to beer, ranging from your standard Czech pilsner to the dry, sour taste of a Belgian gueuze. In fact, there's just too many different styles for me to maul over in this little introduction. So I believe a third party is in order if you want to study up on it: BA Guide to Beer Styles (To quote BA, it's far from the bible for beer styles. Take it like you do a tequila slammer: With a grain of salt.)
Temperature
I get that having a cold pilsner after work is great. But truth be told, most people drink their beer too damn cold. In so cold temperatures, the beer looses most of its taste. Most beers actually do best in room temperature, or perhaps slightly colder. If you want the full experience I really suggest you don't have it straight from the fridge.
The perfect pour
Uh... I really can't teach you the perfect pour. It's different for every beer you pour. What I can do, is teach you a simple pour that has proven to be really effective in releasing any beer's aromatics. Plus it looks fucking beautiful. So start with a clean glass. Which glass to use is a delicate science, but I find (even if it is a bit of a level one heresy) that a snifter, tulip, chalice and an ordinary pint glass goes a very long way here. If you don't have all the items, you can definitely make do with the ones you have. Now tilt the glass at a 45° angle. Pour the beer in the middle of the slope and very slowly bring the glass to a 90° angle. You should be about half-way when you're at 90°. Continue pouring in the center of the glass to build a nice creamy head of foam. Some people gradually add distance between the bottle and the glass at this stage, but that's up to you. This pour is quite simple to pull off, and it pretty much always delivers.
How do I rate beer?
Usually, there are five categories to evaluate when reviewing a beer: Appearance, aroma, palate, flavour and sometimes overall.
Now share your stories and try rating your favourites.
This thread is about just that. Share your beer experience and help others climb the ladder from their regular premium lager to a bitter American IPA, a Belgian Strong Ale, a Trappist or a messed up Barley Wine.
Rating beer? That sounds pretentious and hard.
Shit, this isn't wine tasting. You're not supposed to be able to identify which grapes made the morning-dew sour gusto in a $24,000 1978 Montrachet taste like a pale spring morning after rain. You don't have to wear a tux and cite the Divine Comedy in italian. "Tasting" beer is no different than telling Minnie Ripperton from Ozzy Osbourne. Besides it's. fucking. beer. It's just that awesome.
Is there really any difference to beer?
Well there can't have been much variety in what you've tasted, can there? Pfft. There's an infinite amount of styles to beer, ranging from your standard Czech pilsner to the dry, sour taste of a Belgian gueuze. In fact, there's just too many different styles for me to maul over in this little introduction. So I believe a third party is in order if you want to study up on it: BA Guide to Beer Styles (To quote BA, it's far from the bible for beer styles. Take it like you do a tequila slammer: With a grain of salt.)
Temperature
I get that having a cold pilsner after work is great. But truth be told, most people drink their beer too damn cold. In so cold temperatures, the beer looses most of its taste. Most beers actually do best in room temperature, or perhaps slightly colder. If you want the full experience I really suggest you don't have it straight from the fridge.
The perfect pour
Uh... I really can't teach you the perfect pour. It's different for every beer you pour. What I can do, is teach you a simple pour that has proven to be really effective in releasing any beer's aromatics. Plus it looks fucking beautiful. So start with a clean glass. Which glass to use is a delicate science, but I find (even if it is a bit of a level one heresy) that a snifter, tulip, chalice and an ordinary pint glass goes a very long way here. If you don't have all the items, you can definitely make do with the ones you have. Now tilt the glass at a 45° angle. Pour the beer in the middle of the slope and very slowly bring the glass to a 90° angle. You should be about half-way when you're at 90°. Continue pouring in the center of the glass to build a nice creamy head of foam. Some people gradually add distance between the bottle and the glass at this stage, but that's up to you. This pour is quite simple to pull off, and it pretty much always delivers.
How do I rate beer?
Usually, there are five categories to evaluate when reviewing a beer: Appearance, aroma, palate, flavour and sometimes overall.
- Appearance is the pour itself and, mainly, the visuals after it (ranging from head, sediment, colour and carbonation among others).
- Aroma is putting the glass to your nose. Note all the beer's aromatic qualities. Sweet, roasty malts or dank herbal hops? It also helps to associate it with other smells you know better.
- Palate is basically how the beer feels in your mouth and when you swallow it.
- Flavour includes identifying flavours both mid- and aftertaste. Try to taste if the ingredients are well balanced or if there's a particular taste overruling others.
- Overall is your overall impression. You can even include if you thought the bottle or label was sexy.
Now share your stories and try rating your favourites.
