Frequently, I will be posting a review of a beer on this blog. They will be posted according to their type.This will then, hopefully create a sufficient list for one to traverse the beer world. There is first an important step. And that is... who is writing the review! All reviews are basically my point of view. I could have a different take on a beer, my palate could have been off, or simply - I got a bad one (old, dirty, etc.) There is always this margin of error. but overall, we should be good.
Now, about my beer taste. I like to say that
I have never been "outhopped." Meaning, that the hop level - and subsequent overall bitterness, has never been to high for me. The Southern Tier Un-Earthy Imperial IPA was 153 IBU's (more on what that means later... let's just say that anything over 70 is VERY hoppy) an I found it pretty well balanced. One of the biggest players - Founder's Devil Dancer Triple IPA comes in at a whopping 200 IBU's (on a scale of 200) and I drank it just fine, but it was a BIG beer. I also am not fond of the lighter side of beers. Wheats/Wits and Golds/Blonds are not my style. I can truly appreciate a good one though. Alagash White, for example, is a stupendous wit, I would recommend it to anyone.
So that is a (very) short background of the situation. Now, the lingo/code of beer reviews can be tricky. One may see many flavor profiles pointing out specific characteristics of a beer. There can be lots of different parts of a beer to judge as well. There can also be rating systems of 5 stars, 5 points, 10 points, 100 points... it all becomes a lot to follow. Beeradvocate.com has a pretty standard system of Appearance (A), Smell (S), Taste (T), Mouthfeel (M), and Overall (O) impression. This is a pretty standard way to conceptualize a beer. More can be found at BA's reviewing section.
I prefer to look at the different aspects of a beer from a drinking point-of-view. First is aroma, this will give you a sense of what the beer brings to the table.
-ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT STEPS, to enjoying a beer is to first take a whiff before it is consumed. This prepares the senses for what is about to experience and helps with a better and clearer taste.-
Sorry, bout that, duty calls. Anyways, The next part of a beer is the taste. Now, there is more than meets the eye with just "taste." There is what I like to call an "undertaste" and an "overtaste." The Undertaste is a hidden or lesser taste, say of bananas in a wheat beer. While, the overtaste is the dominant flavor in the beer, maybe a clove spice in that same beer. The balance of these two greatly influences a beers overall flavor. There is then the upfront taste (immediate) sensation or feeling contrasted with, yup you guessed it, the end of the beer.
The end of the beer has two distinct but related parts. There is the finish. Is it clean, or does it maybe have a cream note on the end? Then there is the aftertaste. When someone smacks their mouth after drinking a beer there is usually a chemical reason for that reaction. The aftertaste can make a beer a one-and-done, or a "session" beer where you want 4 more afterwards!
The overall impression of a beer is both collective of these taste notes and just merely influenced. Only you can decide what is the right beer for you - and whether it is good or not! Personally, when I review a beer, I just like to note what sticks out. Did a rush of flavor hit me at first? Could I not get the grainy taste out of my mouth? It is what helps me remember beers and why or why not I liked them.
The reason this all becomes necessary is that it is hard to compare beers across time and varieties. We are so lucky to have all these wonderful beers to try that it can get confusing. One could get lost in a sea of beer. (But what a way to go!)
OH YEAH! I haven't told everyone how my system works! I sat down with my girlfriend, and partner-in-beer Kristie, and we wrote down many different angles of scales and important factors and decimals and whatnot... and it all seemed to complicated. Both to keep track of and to write down at a bar! So, I thought to myself, what is the simplest, yet most effective ranking system I have experienced? EUREKA! Grade school! The nuns had it right - a CHECK +/- system! If I like a beer, it gets a check. I would drink it again, or recommend it to someone. A Check - means that I would not want to drink it again and not want you to drink it. A Check + means drink it when you can! --- I also like to think of it in terms of the wonderful beer fridge. A "-" means do not put it in there. A Check means it would be good to have in there at any time. But a "+" means it should almost ALWAYS be in the fridge!
That is how it all works for me. My childhood has now influenced my drinking habits. Thanks Sister Joan! I hope this will give some insight into what the heck will be in the following posts. Look out for the first beer review tomorrow soon to be followed by the first brewery review!
Happy tasting! Iechyd da!
~Tyler
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