5 Ways To Review A Beer

Beeradvocate.com and other experts review beer based on the following criteria:

1. Appearance
2. Smell
3. Taste
4. Mouthfeel
5. Drinkability

1. Appearance







Color and Clarity




“In order to effectively judge the color and clarity of a beer, hold the beer up to a white background in a well-lit environment. Look through it to gain an impression of its clarity, then at the top and sides of the glass to rate its color. Keep in mind that a beer’s color and clarity must be assessed in the context of its style. For example, lagers and filtered styles should be clear and bright, whereas bottle-conditioned ales or wheat beers will have a somewhat cloudier appearance.” [1]

2. Smell

As anyone who's suffered from a stuffy nose will tell you, food doesn't taste the same if you can't smell it. The aroma of a beer plays a big part in its taste, so be sure to smell the beer before tasting. The beer’s ingredients are what make it smell sweet, nutty, spicy, flowery, or musty. So bring that beer glass up to your nose and take a whiff!

Note: I get my nose wet every time I smell beer. Don’t be alarmed if you do too.

3. Taste

The first couple sips of beer are the most important. Let the beer linger in your mouth for a few moments before swallowing. Breathe through your nose while you’re doing this. “This process is known as “retro-olfaction,” and it allows the beer’s scent to reach your olfactory nerves, which, due to the connection between the senses of taste and smell, intensifies the beer’s flavor.”[2] Your descriptions of the taste may be similar to the smell.

Does it taste sweet, bitter, fruity, or toasty? Do you detect any hints of caramel, coffee, citrus, or honey? Is there a dominant flavor? Do the first few sips taste different than the last few? How is the taste similar to or different from other beers of the same style?

Visit http://beeradvocate.com/beer/style/ or http://www.ratebeer.com/BeerStyles.asp for more information about beer styles.

4. Mouthfeel

As the name suggests, mouthfeel is determined by how the beer actually feels in your mouth. Does it feel thick and heavy or thin and watered down? How does it feel going down your throat? Coarse and grainy or smooth and light? Another point to consider is the beer’s carbonation. Does the beer feel flat or over-carbonated?

5. Drinkability

“The beer's overall ease of consumption and your overall impression of the beer. Would you have another?”[3]

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[1] http://www.tastebeer.com.au/beer/136

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[2] http://www.tastebeer.com.au/

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[3] http://beeradvocate.com/articles/637