What to Look for in a Beer

While wine tasting has been a popular pastime for years, many people might be surprised to learn that there is a well-established beer-tasting community with established criteria using four of the five senses. These criteria include appearance, smell, taste and mouth feel and can be useful to avid beer connoisseurs as well as the casual beer drinker trying to evaluate different options. Add this to my Recipe Box.

Appearance

When evaluating a beer, one of the first things to consider is its appearance. Generally, the appearance of a beer can be classified according to its color, ranging from pale to black, with golden, amber and brown between those two extremes. Additionally, the appearance of beer can be considered in terms of its cloudiness.

Smell

After evaluating the appearance of a beer but before tasting it, beer tasters will consider the aroma of the beverage. The two ingredients that contribute most to a beer's aroma are malt and hops. The various aromas common to beer include smoky, chocolatey, nutty, fruity, perfumey, piney and citrusy, among others.

Taste

For most beer drinkers, taste is the most important consideration in evaluating a beer. Flavors can range from bitter to sweet and include a variety of tastes such as those discussed in the smells section. Important considerations are the dominance of some flavors relative to others and the similarity between the aroma and the taste.

Mouth Feel

Mouth feel is a consideration often overlooked by the casual beer drinker; however, the texture of a beer can add or detract significantly from the drinker's overall enjoyment. The texture could be watery, heavy, thick, flat, carbonated or light, for example. Roll the beer around your mouth to feel how it sits on your tongue.