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THE ART OF 'TASTING
BEER'
Everyone knows how to taste
beer, right? Pop the cap and suck'er back.
Don't get me wrong, that's OK.
But if you want to appreciate the flavors that make up our favorite
brew,
there are finer points to keep in mind.
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2: Taste is
not a single sense, but a complex interaction of various sensations
including sights, sounds, odors and flavors.
Most people think flavor is the same as taste, but that is just
one component. All of these should be considered when tasting beer.
Flavors are made up of four basic flavors, just as colors are made
up of primary colors. These four basic flavors (sour, sweet, salt
and bitter) are experienced on different parts of the tongue. Sweet
is tasted at the tip of the tongue, salt is on the sides toward
the front, sour on the rear sides and bitterness from the back of
the tongue and the roof of the mouth. This is why tasters swish
the beer around their mouths before swallowing, to let all the parts
of the tongue come in contact with the beer.
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1: THE
FIRST POINT IS...
that we drink beer because we enjoy it.
Many people will tell you they
don't like beer, or they only like their brand. But with the range
of flavors in the world of beer, there is a beer that almost everyone
will enjoy. Not everyone enjoys every beer, but every beer is brewed
because someone enjoys it. By learning to appreciate more beers,
we appreciate beer more.
Secondly, taste is a subjective experience. Like any sensory
stimulus, it is experienced differently by different people. What
tastes refreshingly crisp to one person may be mouth-puckeringly
bitter to another. Other factors affect perception, as well. Depending
on circumstances, an individual will perceive the same stimulus
differently- a stout that is rich and creamy on a cold winters'
evening may seem thick and cloying on a summer afternoon.
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3: How
a beer is served will affect your perception of the beer.
The glass should be clean and well
rinsed, with no oil or soap residue. The temperature should be suitable
for the particular style you're tasting. North Americans generally
drink beer too cold to experience all the flavors and aromas. This
is an effective strategy when drinking most big-brewery beers, but
diminishes the enjoyment of beers that are actually flavorful.
Lagers, wheat beers and lighter beers in general are best served
at cooler temperatures, between 35°F-45°F (3°C and 10°C). Ales,
particularly English ales, are best appreciated somewhat warmer,
at what is known as cellar temperature, 40°F-50°F.
5: Before the head disappears,
smell the beer.
It is largely the head that releases
the odors of the beer. The amount of head is dependent on the pourer,
but different beers call for different amounts of head. Generally,
ales require less head than lagers, as they have more pronounced
bouquet. Listen to the head after pouring. A fizzy, popping head
which quickly disappears indicates less malt and more sugars in
the brew, and excessive carbonation, which leads to a sour-tasting
beer.
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4: Now lets taste some beer.
First, pour it in a glass and
have a look at it. Color and clarity are the two first impressions,
and both are dependent on the style of beer being tasted. Darker
beers are often, though not always, stronger flavored and heavier
but some brewers use dark malts in light-tasting beers, and some
even use food coloring to make beers look darker. Most beers are
intended to be clear, but some wheat beers or unfiltered beers should
have a cloudiness to them. Chill haze looks like yeast in suspension,
but disappears when the beer warms.
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6: You
have been very patient so far
...so now you'll get your reward.
Take a sip of the beer, holding it in your mouth and swishing it around
your tongue before swallowing. Are the flavors in balance? Is the
sweetness of the malt matched by bitterness from the hops? What taste
sensations make up the flavor? Does the first impression change as
you savour the beer, and does it leave a pleasant aftertaste or finish?
Take another sip and do the same again. Some beers take a couple swallows
to fully experience all the flavors. How does the beer feel in your
mouth? Thick or thin, creamy or cloying? Fizzy, flat, or zestfully
effervescent?
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Now take another
sip.
Lean back in your chair as you swallow.
Put your feet up and focus on the sensations dancing on your taste buds.
Have another sip and reflect on the fact that you're not just drinking
beer,
you're TASTING beer.
Enjoy!
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