Brewhouse
The recent rise of craft beer’s popularity has been remarkable in the UK, with many retailers and restaurateurs reporting double digit growth from the category. Brewhouse presents a selection of the UK’s finest craft brewers in a dedicated area, with accompanying speakers, debate and presentations in our beer theatre ‘The Hopsack’.
The recent rise of craft beer’s popularity has been remarkable in the UK, with many retailers and restaurateurs reporting double digit growth from the category. Brewhouse presents a selection of the UK’s finest craft brewers in a dedicated area, with accompanying speakers, debate and presentations in our beer theatre ‘The Hopsack’.
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BEER EVALUATION<br />
Basic Beer Evaluation Procedure<br />
Beer tasting is much like wine tasting - smell, look and taste. Use these checklists to guide what you are looking for<br />
Smell<br />
Hoppy: Earthy, peppery, spicy, floral, leafy, citrus fruit, tropical fruits, berries, piney/resiny etc<br />
Malty: Cereals, biscuits, caramel, bread, fruitcake, coffee, chocolate etc<br />
Yeasty: Bready, bananas, cloves, specific yeast (eg saison), boozy, estery etc<br />
Look<br />
Clarity: Clear, hazy, cloudy, murky, floating particles, faulty? (If not clear establish if acceptable for beer style; if beer is unfined; or<br />
acceptable chill haze clearing as the beer warms)<br />
Head retention: Tight/dense, foamy, loose, small, dispersing, non-existent. (If non-existent establish if style appropriate, beer fault or<br />
serving fault)<br />
Taste<br />
General attributes: Clean, crisp, bitter, zesty, sweet, tart/sour (desirable in particular styles), phenolic<br />
Carbonation: Flat, low, natural (eg, cask and some bottle conditioned beers), well carbonated (zingy, effervescent etc), over-carbonated/<br />
faulty<br />
Hop character: Earthy, peppery, spicy, floral, leafy, citrus fruit, tropical fruits, berries, piney/resiny etc<br />
Malt character: Cereals, biscuits, caramel, honey, brown sugars, bread, fruitcake, coffee, chocolate etc<br />
Yeast character: (if obvious): Bready, bananas, cloves, specific yeast (eg saison), boozy, estery etc<br />
Body: Very thin to very viscous – type of malt used, level of alcohol can all be factors<br />
Finish/aftertaste: Dry, juicy, hoppy etc. Lingering flavours - pleasant or unpleasant<br />
Some Common off Flavours/Aromas<br />
Sulphur/struck matches/rotten eggs: Clean sulphur aroma is characteristic of some styles such as pale ales, otherwise may indicate<br />
yeast infection<br />
Butterscotch/popcorn: Diacetyl - occasionally desirable in cask ales but at high levels can indicate beer spoiled by bacteria or other<br />
organisms<br />
Sweetcorn/cooked veg: DMS/dimethyl sulphide - acceptable at low levels but at higher levels may indicate contamination.<br />
Green apples: Acetaldehyde - faulty fermentation or infection<br />
Papery/cardboard: Oxidation - mild<br />
Leather, tobacco: Oxidation - prolonged<br />
Sweaty/body odour: Lightstruck - hop compounds exposed to light; common with clear glass bottles.<br />
Acetic/vinegary: Desirable in some styles - esp sour beers - otherwise indicates severe oxidation<br />
5<br />
London Wine Fair 2015 Beer Tasting
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