How to taste a craft beer

Cultural events

Francesco FrancescoMichieletto
How to taste a craft beer

Knowing the proper way to taste a craft beer enhances your overall experience and helps you learn your unique preferences. There are four main components of craft beer tasting which are looking, swirling, smelling and tasting. Here's a how-to for each step. Looking at Your Beer Many beer drinkers overlook this seemingly obvious step. When you get your nice frosty glass, pay close attention to the color. Be sure to keep it away from bright lights because the color of the light can distort the true color of the beer. Take note of its consistency, hue and the head. Swirling Your Glass The purpose of swirling your beer is to allow the smells to waft out of the glass. This step is preparing you for the smelling phase. Additionally, swirling the glass lets you see how well the head stays together. Smelling Your Brew Smell is a huge part of the food and beverage experience. Take a deep inhale of the beer, allowing the aroma to penetrate your sniffer. This step gives you an idea of what the beer will taste like. Tasting Your Beer Start by taking a small sip. The whole point is to experience the beer. Take a moment and swish it around in your mouth to activate all of your taste buds. You should now be able to tell the true consistency of the beer and its basic taste. Breath out through your nose with the beer still in your mouth. This process is called retro-olfaction, and it helps drinkers determine subtle characteristics of the taste such as bitterness, acidity and sweetness.

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