Keeping your craft beer crafty: Part 3 – Tasting Tips

OK. Your beer's been properly stored and served. Now, to help it taste its best, follow these easy steps.

Absolutely beautiful

1) Use a clean, clear glass: Brewers carefully blend special malts to create just the right color and appearance in their beer, so choose a glass that is totally clean. Dishwasher detergents and hand-washing soap can leave residue that, although imperceptible to the taster, will ruin a beer's foamy head, causing the crafty brew to look less crafty. I recommend washing your glass thoroughly with hot water alone, or at least rinsing it repeatedly after a standard washing.

2) Your nose knows: I won't be pompous enough to say beer has a "bouquet" like wine, but it clearly has an aroma… one which the brewer has worked diligently to impart. Both malts and hops affect a beer's aroma, with the latter frequently being chosen solely for their aromatic qualities. A beer can smell "malty" - sweet, in a grainy kind of way - or, more specifically, "toasty" or "chocolaty" or even "burnt" (with roasted malts!). Hops can impart floral, spicy, or "citrus" aromas (American varieties are famous for their lemony-grapefruity character). After a while, you can become familiar with the aromas of specific hop types – I recommend picking up a half rack of Sam Adams Latitude 48 Deconstructed to fully appreciate this. Overall, it pays to take time to appreciate a beer's aroma. Leave enough room at the top of your glass so you can gently swirl the brew to release its fragrances. Try this complex sampling procedure: Swirl, Sniff, Swallow... repeat!

Looks like a beer Thanksgiving

3) Don't waste taste buds: Instead of just gulping down a beer, consider how it tastes in your mouth. How it feels on your tongue. It may be sweet at first, then bitter and dry as you swallow. Or perhaps it is mouth-coatingly rich, with flavors that remind you of toffee and "fresh-baked bread." Wheat beers may be refreshingly crisp and clean, while a stout - with all its licorice, coffee, and chocolate notes - only can be described as "complex." The key to all craft-brewed beer is flavor, so always try to think about the way your chosen brew tastes. Your tongue will thank you.

4) Think about the beer's finish: (not just finishing the beer) After each swallow, examine the brew's lasting flavors and qualities. Does a hoppy India Pale Ale linger longer than a clean, soft wheat beer? Does a malty brown ale seem sweeter going down than a dry stout? "Aftertaste" is something to be desired in a good beer. It provides a final impression of the brew's qualities and, possibly, its overall quality.

To be concluded…

Here’s to craft-brewed happiness… Cheers!