Sunday, August 17, 2008

Hosting a Beer Tasting

You and your beer loving mates have talked about it for years after a few jars at the local. The phrase that pierces your soul, “You know, we should run a beer tasting of our own.” So the time has come to bite the bullet and have a go, but where do you start? Here are a few tips for a successful tasting. First and foremost do your homework and the best place to start is using the internet for advice. There are numerous sites to assist you and provide suggestions for a proper beer tasting. I mean where you think I got started!

Getting Started/ the Power of #3
Don’t be a hero; get some help by dobbing in 2 of your mates to form a committee. Three is the magic number. Why? Cause you get three 90-100 ml. tastings in each bottle, so you can cater for 18 people per 6-pack purchase. Preferably divide up the tasks between organiser, finance and communications. Get the numbers right or you’ll be the only person who won’t enjoy the experience and out of pocket as well.

The venue will dictate the size of the tasting. We know you have dreams of doing the biggest Beer Expo ever, but reality bites especially if you live in an inner city flat. It’s best outside with access to a protected area. A natural well lit area is best so you can see the beers' colours. Avoid noisy distractions, such as television or music. Cigarette smoke, cooking smells or perfumes will all interfere with your ability to taste.

Create the mood- Ban the Beer Snobs.
There’s nothing worse than having to be bored by a beer know it all. I recall how intimidated I felt when a beer judge next to me referred to the aroma as “fresh lawn clippings and bubble gum” then asked me what I thought. I snorted so much beer up my nose looking for that damn bubble gum I had to excuse myself, embarrassingly running to the dunny to relieve the geyser going off in my snout. Get everybody on the same page. Talk about the approach to tasting before starting making sure tasters feel free to describe aromas and flavours in creative terms without fear of being put down. The best tastings are both social and educational gatherings. A flavour and colour chart is very helpful to the novice taster and can be accessed via the internet. Frenchman Morton Meilgaard designed the Meilgaard Beer Flavour Wheel in the 1970’s. This is the standard reference that categorizes 44 different profiles into 14 major sub-headings. The James Squire website also offers a great colour chart with familiar beers to work from. You can print up individual copies or put them unto butcher’s paper so tasters have a ‘cheat sheet’ to help them describe what’s going on in their eyes and mouth.

Control your environment by limiting the numbers of samples to five or six if particularly alcoholic or hoppy beers are being tasted, otherwise between 10-12 tastings should do it. Consider scoresheets or provide pads for notes. Some tasters may want to take home their notes while others find value with the added structure. Here is a simple 10 point scoring system.
1. Appearance (2 pts.)- Colour, carbonation/foam, characteristics Note whether the head is dense or thin. Heads are sometimes described as rocky if they are especially dense with dips and peaks forming as some of the bubbles pop. The colour of the head is also worth noting and can range from pure white on Pilsners to light or medium brown on some stouts and porters

2. Aroma (4 pts) - whether it smells primarily of hops or malt. Generally speaking light collared beers will smell more of hops while darker beers tend to have pronounced malt, roasted, chocolate or coffee aroma. Many types of ale have a hard to pin down spiciness or fruitiness from their yeasts.

3. Flavour & Body (4pts.)- General characteristics, Bitterness, Fermentation products, Flavour faults. the initial sensation as the beer enters your mouth. Think about whether it is sweet, bitter or something else. There can be quite a difference between the first taste and the finish. Mouthfeel is the texture of the beer or how it physically feels in your mouth. Beer ranges from silky dry, to thick and chewy, or thin and fizzy. The Finish, note the lingering flavours after you swallow the drink. Often it can be bitter from the hops or a lingering malty sweetness TOTAL Maximum 10 points

Beers should be tasted from lightest in flavour to heaviest, with colour as a secondary consideration. It is often interesting to compare lagers and ales of similar colour and taste characteristics to distinguish the sensory results of top-fermentation and bottom-fermentation Beers should be selected by brewing style, i.e., pilsner, porter, bock, rather than by country of origin. They should be poured into straight-sided clear glasses which allow the natural head of authentic beers to perform. A couple of rinse buckets help keep down glassware usage.

Take a break. Have water and bread or neutral tasting crackers available to cleanse palates between beers. Avoid anything with distinctive flavours. Let the beer be the star. Use the same size glassware for each round of tasting, but make sure the beer is served at the proper temperature (chilled lager (1-3° C) and ale (4-8° C)) and poured with a decent head. A selection of interesting cheeses, fresh breads and hors d'oeuvres are a perfect accompaniment to beer whose bitter finish and malty flavour combines well with every type of food more than any other alcoholic beverage.

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