Profiling Beers
Form your own opinion
It's important to not be influenced by others when reviewing a beer. Everyone is
going to have a different experience, so make sure your opinions are your own. Don't
allow others to lead you before you review the beer yourself - this includes reading
on-line reviews of the beer that you're about to review.
Keep style in mind
Say you don't like light beers. We suggest that you do one of two things: 1) don't
review them if you know you already don't like them - your opinion will be tainted. 2)
Review with an open mind and for what the beer is trying to be, not what you think
the beer should be or pit it against the kick-ass India Pale Ale that you had earlier. It's
also important to note that a beery character that you might not like, could be "to
style," and shouldn't be deemed a flaw. Example: buttery notes (diacetyl) in a Scotch
Ale or Acetic, the vinegary sourness in a Lambic.
Know your beer styles – they act as good reference points.
Senses
Flavor and aroma are tightly connected, so make sure you have your senses in
check. Don't attempt to review a beer if your senses are out of whack, like: you've got
a cold, burnt your tongue with coffee in the morning, just ate a plate of atomic wings,
tasted too many beers already, you're exhausted or simply in a bad mood. Taste
buds can get ruined and tired, so be flexible and try a beer more than once.
Smoking
Speaking of senses, never review a beer in a smoky environment or while smoking.
Smoking inhibits your sense of smell and taste in a major way, and smoking (first- or
second-hand) can damage your senses, sometimes permanently.
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. Note how the beer feels on the palate and its body.
Light, heavy, chewy, thin/watery, smooth/coarse? Flat or over-carbonated?
Overall - Your overall impression of the beer.
Temperature
Many drink their beer too damn cold. Cold temperatures will numb the taste buds and
literally masks the beer's true flavors, aromas and nuances. Use color (malts) and
alcohol content to determine the best drinking temperatures. Try around 40-50
degrees F for paler or lower alcohol beers, and 50-60 degrees F for darker or higher
alcohol beers.
Glassware (clean)
Is important. See article on Glassware. If you're at home, stock up on some of the
basics, otherwise do the best you can.
Serving preparation
As mentioned, clean glassware is a must. You should take note to not review a beer
if: you know that the tap lines are dirty or your sample is from a recapped or abused
growler sample - like a growler shipped across the US or growler that is poured into
bottles and recapped to ship to multiple reviewers.
Order
Many suggest that beers should be tasted from the old "lightest to darkest" heuristic
method. While this generally works, today it's dated and flawed. Sure, malt flavors
will intensify with increasing kilning temperatures, but often times color has nothing to
do with tasting a beer. Color can be an indication of what you might be in for, but for
the most part, and with most drinkers, it's psychological. You'll want to consider two
things: alcohol content and hop levels. Keep your hoppy and high alcohol beers
towards the end so you don't ruin your palate early in the tasting. Exceptions to this
might be certain specialty ingredients that have very bold and distinct characters,
like: smoked malts in Rauchbiers, intense fruit beers, or the wild yeast and bacteria
used in Lambics - all of which can be light in color, hence the flaw. You'll want to
save these for the end as well.
Don't review a "bad" beer
Not a beer that you simply don't like, but rather a beer you know to be spoiled due to
reasons outside of the brewer's control - like a skunked beer and beer past its prime.
If you come across a beer like this, alert whoever you purchased it from and send a
note to the brewer. Using your review to bitch about it won't help anyone.
Cleanse the palate
It's highly recommended that you have some water as well as plain bread, crackers
or even air-popped popcorn on hand to cleanse the palate between beers and to help
stave off inebriation. Avoid salty and greasy foods or anything that could overpower
the senses - you want to clean/scrub the palate, not destroy it.
Record & Profile
Use a beer profile sheet to record information – see the HBS Beer profile sheet as an
example. The beer profile sheet should capture many of the items already referred to
here and prompt note taking. It is also a god basis for a technical discussion when
you have finished profiling. See article 4 on how to taste beer.
