How to Sample Beer

Posted on originally on the Down The Road Brewery website  by Elena McGuire

https://downtheroadbrewery.com/how-to-sample-beer/

A while ago, Down the Road posted a news article about how people often don’t know how to sample beer correctly. It only makes sense, then, to give you some tips on the proper manners for tasting a new beer! Following these tips will help you drink a beer the way it’s supposed to be drunk, the way the brewer intended. We’ve broken down tasting beer down into five steps:

1. Set-up
2. Serving
3. Surveying
4. Sniffing
5. Sampling

Step One: Set the Stage

Make sure you’re set up for success by planning out the time and sequence of your beer tasting. If you’re overly hungry, around dinner time or lunch time, then you’ll tend to rush things and not get the full experience of a beer’s taste. Another influencing factor is sound. If you’re playing heavy metal in the background, that probably means you’re going to be able to focus less on a beer’s taste due to distraction.

The last step is to plan the order of your beer sampling. If you start with a bitter, hoppy beer then you’ll cloud your palate and not be able to appreciate more subtle beers. At Down the Road samplings, we go up in bitterness during our tastings, beginning with our K?lsch, moving to the Saison, and finally pouring the pale ale.

Step Two: Glass Type and Serving Temperature

We’ve written about how important it is to use the proper type of glass for each beer type (read about it here) so brush up on that if you’re feeling rusty.

Next, research what temperature your beer is designed to be served at. A beer that’s served closer to freezing will have a higher concentration of carbon dioxide gas in it. This reduces the amount of aroma a beer will give off and numbs your mouth to the beer’s taste. Therefore, most beers should be served above 40°F.

Here’s a quick guide to serving temperatures for the most common types of beers:

40-45°F for lighter-colored beers

• Pilsners, K?lsch, Wheat, Belgian Wit

45-50°F for medium body beers

• APA, IPA, Porters, Irish stout, medium-lager

50-55°F for more sour/bitter beers

• Sour ales, Lambic, English bitter, Scotch, Belgian, and Trappist ales

55-60°F for darker, malty beers

• Imperial stouts, Belgian quads, dopplebock, old ales

Step Three: Admire and Swirl

Once the beer is poured, take a look at it without exposing it to direct light that would dilute its color. Admire the color, amount of foam (head), and check the bottom to see if it’s filtered or unfiltered. One customer recently noted how the taste of our Pukwudgie pale ale changed whether the pour was from the middle of the bottle or from a a nearly empty bottle since we don’t filter our beers.

Then, give the glass a small swirl to see reveal more about the beer. You’ll be able to loosen some of the carbonation and might smell the aromas of the beer. Additionally, this will allow you to see how the head changes, whether it’s a lighter foam that dissolves back in or if it’s a hearty, stick-to-your-mustache type of foam.

Step Four: Sniff

Give the beer a good sniff. Taste is directly related to smell, with the National Trust Beer Club claiming that between 90-95% of your taste experience is determined by your sense of smell, so this is an important step. Ask yourself, “Does this smell sweet? Citrusy? Malty?”

Step Five: Sample

Take a small sip of beer. Let the beer begin in the front of the mouth and tongue and then spread to the back. Don’t just chug it down, let it linger. Try to note how it feels, whether it’s heavy and coats your palate or if it’s light and goes down quickly. Wait a few seconds before taking another sip so that you can catch any lingering notes from that first sip. Think about the beer’s balance of hops and malt, as well as any other undertones of flavor that it might have. Can you taste the citrus that you might have smelled a minute ago?

If you’re sampling multiple beers then try to transition slowly. Give yourself a few minutes to drink a bit of water, but be careful not to drink too much since water can dilute the taste of the next beer you might try. Talk about the beer you tried with your friends and try to go past “That’s great!” or “I didn’t like that.” If you can’t articulate why you do or don’t like something then it’s time to expand your beer vocabulary!

With these steps you can become a more thoughtful beer drinker and experience more as you experiment with new beers!