What to look for
There are five categories to evaluating a beer with your review:
Appearance - Note the beer's color, carbonation, head and its retention. Is it clear or cloudy? Does it look lackluster and dull or alive and inviting?
Smell - Bring the beer to your nose. Note the beer's aromatic qualities. Malts: sweet, roasty, smoky, toasty, chocolaty, nutty, caramelly, biscuity? Hops: dank / resiny, herbal, perfumy, spicy, leafy, grassy, floral, piney, citrusy? Yeast will also create aromas. You might get fruity or flowery aromas (esters) from ales and very clean aromas from lagers, which will allow the malt and hop subtleties to pull through.
Taste - Take a deep sip of the beer. Note any flavors, or interpretations of flavors, that you might discover. The descriptions will be similar to what you smell. Is the beer built-well? Is there a balance between the ingredients? Was the beer brewed with a specific dominance of character in mind? How does it fit the style?
Mouthfeel - Take another sip and let it wander. Note how the beer feels on the palate and its body. Light, heavy, chewy, thin / watery, smooth or coarse? Was the beer flat, over-carbonated?
Drinkability - The beer's overall ease of consumption and your overall impression of the beer. Would you have another?
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
How to Review a Beer
From BeerAdvocate.com
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This really makes me thirsty. I want to crack open a Natural Light, feeling the carbonated mist rush past my hand, noting the condensation upon my fingertips. Then I want to grasp the can firmly whilst opening my throat fully and pouring the beer down the hatch. That, my friend, is how you drink a beer. Everything else is nonsense.
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