jennyss Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 I'll admit my ignorance. I'm only beginning to learn about the different styles of beer from discussion here in the forum; and knowing how to describe the taste of beer....... that's a mystery. I've found a great article online - 'Beer Tasting 101'. This can be found at https://glacier-design.com/resource-library/beer-tasting-101 . For example, it is OK to describe hop flavour and bitterness as being like 'newly mown lawn'. So Shamus O'Sean's description of his new brew as 'Lawn Food Stout' isn't as way out as I first thought! 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 38 minutes ago, jennyss said: I'll admit my ignorance. I'm only beginning to learn about the different styles of beer from discussion here in the forum; and knowing how to describe the taste of beer....... that's a mystery. I've found a great article online - 'Beer Tasting 101'. This can be found at https://glacier-design.com/resource-library/beer-tasting-101 . For example, it is OK to describe hop flavour and bitterness as being like 'newly mown lawn'. So Shamus O'Sean's description of his new brew as 'Lawn Food Stout' isn't as way out as I first thought! That's pretty much it Jenny, described the way it is, you will notice how some beers are heavy - malty, others lightish' pale, clearer types, hoppy, citrus flavours. There are so many but eventually it just comes natural to single out a beer type. The type of glass plays a part but that is another topic. Even temperature can change the appearance & taste of a beer. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDT2 Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 1 hour ago, jennyss said: I'll admit my ignorance. I'm only beginning to learn about the different styles of beer from discussion here in the forum; and knowing how to describe the taste of beer....... that's a mystery. I've found a great article online - 'Beer Tasting 101'. This can be found at https://glacier-design.com/resource-library/beer-tasting-101 . For example, it is OK to describe hop flavour and bitterness as being like 'newly mown lawn'. So Shamus O'Sean's description of his new brew as 'Lawn Food Stout' isn't as way out as I first thought! I thought that was Interceptors beer and it was in reference to him throwing the last stout batch on his lawn! I don’t think it was in relation to taste! Correct me if I am wrong! 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jennyss Posted April 22, 2022 Author Share Posted April 22, 2022 Yes, you're right @RDT2, @Shamus O'Seancommented on @interceptor's post in Brew Day. I think I better keep quiet before I put my foot further in it! 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 Don't worry about your ignorance on tasting beer, @jennyss. My palate is so primitive I describe beer in 3 varieties: good, bad and not bad. 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidM Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 Foot in Mouth is welcome, Just keep it out of the Beer! I can't describe Beer.. But from time to time, I taste one and think Wow.. Don't know what it is but Wow 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty_G Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 I have always been hopeless at describing taste. However, my wife is outstanding. We have been avid collectors of wine for the guts of 30 years. We have a pretty good set up with over 400 bottles in our cellar. We only collect vintages and age then till they are ready to drink. I know what is good and she pulls the palate apart and tells me what the flavours are. It works really well However, once I really got into craft beer I had to learn the flavour as my wife does not drink beer. It has taken a while but now I read the blurb about the beer I now know the flavours some hops impart so now I am OK now. Still not great but getting better. Huge improvement came when I went AG. From very early I made my own recipes and started to get the hang of the specialty malt and hop flavours. I suppose what I am getting to is over time you will improve which was a good bit of advise I got from this forum a few years ago. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pale Man Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 I describe it as Mothers Milk. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pale Man Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 When i'm a bit crissed, my old man says " You've had a few cordials haven't ya!! " Doesn't taste anything like cordial to me 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RDT2 Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 6 minutes ago, Marty_G said: I have always been hopeless at describing taste. However, my wife is outstanding. We have been avid collectors of wine for the guts of 30 years. We have a pretty good set up with over 400 bottles in our cellar. We only collect vintages and age then till they are ready to drink. I know what is good and she pulls the palate apart and tells me what the flavours are. It works really well However, once I really got into craft beer I had to learn the flavour as my wife does not drink beer. It has taken a while but now I read the blurb about the beer I now know the flavours some hops impart so now I am OK now. Still not great but getting better. Huge improvement came when I went AG. From very early I made my own recipes and started to get the hang of the specialty malt and hop flavours. I suppose what I am getting to is over time you will improve which was a good bit of advise I got from this forum a few years ago. I am hopeless as well although my six year old neighbour was over when her dad was having a beer of mine and I was showing him a beer I had fermenting in the fridge she poked her head in and said “Raspberries, yuck I hate raspberries” The Hops had a description of raspberries and I was like htf can a 6 year old have better beer descriptors than me. I couldn’t smell raspberries It either tastes and smells like a Australian lager or Pilsner to me or fruity and it is either awesome good or bad I guess the only way is practice 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tone boy Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 4 hours ago, RDT2 said: throwing the last stout batch on his lawn! I did that once, but I drank the stout beforehand 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltop hops Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 Wow seems simple enough but so difficult! I used to brew bitter hop heavy IPAs and I would get my wife to taste. If she screwed up her face I knew the IBUs were right. I'm not great at describing tastes personally, I'm ok at picking styles but not individual tastes of hops. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hilltop hops Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 40 minutes ago, Hilltop hops said: Wow seems simple enough but so difficult! I used to brew bitter hop heavy IPAs and I would get my wife to taste. If she screwed up her face I knew the IBUs were right. I'm not great at describing tastes personally, I'm ok at picking styles but not individual tastes of hops. Metaphorically? Smoking meats, bbq, punting, lawn mowing, watching football, cricket, boxing, kickboxing, mma etc! 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Micky Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 14 hours ago, MUZZY said: Don't worry about your ignorance on tasting beer, @jennyss. My palate is so primitive I describe beer in 3 varieties: good, bad and not bad. Muzzy, I've dropped the "bad" altogether - I just go with good and gooder. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malter White Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 6 minutes ago, Mickep said: Muzzy, I've dropped the "bad" altogether - I just go with good and gooder. Always the optimist, Mick. 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted April 22, 2022 Share Posted April 22, 2022 5 minutes ago, Mickep said: Muzzy, I've dropped the "bad" altogether - I just go with good and gooder. I can definitely tell the difference between a malty lager, almost sandy taste, compared to an Ale with a lighter body, crisp taste & then a Pilsner which is a smooth, clean taste with lingering hoppy bitterness. Of course I am no expert but I believe as long as you can tell the difference between a few of the basic beers, you will further develop more skills. I have heard & seen some of the snobs on the tasting/judging panels but that's another story, some of them need to sit in a room & listen to themselves on playback, utter 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackSands Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 (edited) 2 hours ago, Classic Brewing Co said: I have heard & seen some of the snobs on the tasting/judging panels but that's another story, some of them need to sit in a room & listen to themselves on playback, utter Plenty of those types on Youtube - sniffing, swilling and pontificating! I'm sure many of them just make up! But anyone can be a beer judge/reviewer - just learn to use the words "citrusy", "earthy", "dank", "piney", "spicy", "tropical fruit" and "malty" frequently and convincingly and you're good to go! Whether the beer in question actually has these particular characteristics is largely irrelevant. Edited April 23, 2022 by BlackSands 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Brewing Co Posted April 23, 2022 Share Posted April 23, 2022 9 minutes ago, BlackSands said: Plenty of those types on Youtube - sniffing, swilling and pontificating! I'm sure many of them just make up! But anyone can be a beer judge/reviewer - just learn to use the words "citrusy", "earthy", "dank", "piney", "spicy", "tropical fruit" and "malty" frequently and convincingly and you're good to go! Whether the beer in question actually has these particular characteristics is largely irrelevant. I agree, I watched something similar with a couple of Yanks carrying on, one spent more time sniffing it & holding it up & the other guy was sticking his tongue in it & gargling as if it was mouth wash, by the time they would have got around to actually tasting it, I had moved on. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ben 10 Posted April 24, 2022 Share Posted April 24, 2022 On 4/22/2022 at 6:05 PM, jennyss said: I think I better keep quiet before I put my foot further in it! Don't - that was funny! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackgym Posted May 28, 2022 Share Posted May 28, 2022 Off track a bit here, but went on a wine tasting tour once that involved 4 wineries. The owners were fairly heavy handed with the tastings and by the time we reached the last winery, the sniffers and spitters were doing just that and nothing else. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff S Posted June 16, 2022 Share Posted June 16, 2022 One word-------Yummo! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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