All about beer tasting: from preparation to evaluation

Quality beer is always a noble beverage that reveals a multitude of flavor and aromatic nuances. But it is practically impossible to feel each of them during ordinary consumption. But a competent tasting can reveal all the shades of flavor. But how to prepare for it, and most importantly, how to conduct it correctly? If you want to feel like a beer sommelier, this article is for you.

How to prepare for beer tasting

The first rule is to take a break between the last meal and the beginning of the tasting. It should be at least an hour — during this time the taste buds are fully activated. The process itself should take place in a quiet and comfortable place — without bright lights, loud music and extraneous odors.

Drinks should be served in the right glasses. For example, for ale usually use flutes, and for lager — narrow glass glasses. In this way, the drinks reveal their flavor as brightly as possible. It is also important to choose in advance the dishes that will accompany the tasting. They should not distract attention from the taste of the beer itself. Often hard cheeses are used for this purpose.

And the last thing is to choose the varieties that will participate in the tasting. Experts do not recommend evaluating light and dark beer at the same time. It is also not worth tasting too many varieties at a time — five is quite enough.

How to do a tasting

The optimal temperature of the beverage for tasting is 10-12%, regardless of the variety. For each sample, 0.1 liter of beer is enough. You should start with lighter beers, gradually moving to stronger ones.

Then — to the tasting itself. It is necessary to start with visual assessment of the drink: to study its color, transparency, presence of sediment, color and thickness of the foam cap. Each variety has different characteristics, so there are no universal tips.

After that it is necessary to assess the flavor of beer. It is necessary to unwind the glass in your hand so that a slight whirlpool is formed inside. Then immediately bring it to your nose and inhale with a full chest.

The last stage is to evaluate the taste. Take a big sip of the drink so that the beer fills your mouth, spreads across the palate and tongue. Unlike wines and some types of spirits, which are usually sipped at a tasting, beer is sipped to taste all the flavor nuances.

Evaluation parameters

When evaluating a fragrance, it is important to focus on the first impression, as the sense of smell is dulled with each inhalation. Professionals usually use a special table for making a verdict, where about a hundred shades are collected. Amateurs are hardly able to immediately catch anything but the dominant notes. It can be flowers, fruits, caramel, chocolate, burnt sugar, spices, citrus.

The flavor is easier, as there can be only four variants — sweet, sour, salty and bitter. In many varieties, bitterness and sweetness are the most pronounced: the former is from hops, the latter from malt. It is also worth paying attention to the other notes — they can be different depending on the drink.

And remember that tasting is a subjective process, as your own emotions and experience are of great importance. And if you want to taste beer in a good company, come to any beer restaurant of Lambic chain — we have a lot of interesting varieties, proper serving and cozy atmosphere. We are waiting for you!

Date : 14 June

Views : 208

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