Sophie Brewster July 18, 2016
Accounting for Taste
The bold soul who first drank a beer probably had no real accounting for taste. After all, the guy (or gal) was likely just hungry and thirsty and found some sprouting wild barley fermenting in a pool of water. Sipping it they discovered a sweet, tasty beverage that was a satisfying food source and also produced a gentle sense of euphoria. Voila, a beer was born!
It did not take long for beer to become a mainstay of ancient civilizations. Over four thousand years ago, Babylonian society produced more than a dozen styles of beer, brewed with a wide variety of ingredients. And their brewing processes proved to be as sophisticated as their ability to build the pyramids. It therefore seems unlikely that these high achievers would tolerate a bad brew.
But taste is very subjective. When a beer has definitive colour, aroma, and taste, not everyone is going to like it. Mass market brewing companies have taken that to heart – they understand that a beer with minimal flavor and aroma is likely to offend fewer drinkers. They call this “drinkability”. That’s why they often use “adjuncts” like rice or corn to diminish the colour, flavour, and aroma that barley or wheat convey. Of course, they also seem to sense that they might be missing the boat – but that’s a discussion for another day.
So…if you’re sitting here reading old Soph waxing from her Salt Box, then it’s likely you’d consider shelling out a few more loonies to try a “specialty beer” you’ve never had before. But how will you know if you’re going to like it? More importantly, if you don’t like it, how will you know if it’s because it’s just not your “thing” or it’s a beer gone bad? Now’s the time to develop your palate! There’s enough complexity of flavour in a well-crafted beer to make slowing down and savouringthose first few sips an opportunity to identify the flavours you enjoy and the styles you’ll prefer.
Assessing the characteristics of a beer usually includes four main attributes: appearance, aroma, flavour, and mouthfeel. Pour the beer in a glass so you can appreciate its colour, clarity and head retention. Swirl the beer in the glass to release the carbonation and pull out the aroma. Smelling the beer is an important step, as it informs your sense of taste. A good beer has a unique balance of flavours – the sweetness of the malt and the bitterness of hops give the beer its character. Your “sweet” taste buds are in the front of your mouth, and the “bitter” taste buds are at the back. So, when you sip the beer, roll it around in your mouth and then swallow to get the full effect of the flavour. Beer aromas and flavours tend to have similar descriptive notes – the malt in a beer can be sweet, toasty, nutty, grainy, or bready. Hops on the other hand are often described as spicy, floral, earthy, or citrus to name just a few. The mouthfeel relates to the sensation of texture or weight in your mouth – is it creamy? Dry? Warm? Prickly? How about the overall experience was just downright yummy?
A few things to remember…beer is a perishable item and as such there are three big foes to fresh-tasting beer: 1) oxidation, 2) light, or 3) bad beer lines. These things can kill your beer. Oxidation (air trapped in the bottle, can or keg) is highly reactive and can form by-products that damage the taste and aroma. If you get the sense of a “wet cardboard” aroma or flavour, odds are your beer has been oxidized. Heat can accelerate this process. So beers stored in a warm environment will go bad faster. Don’t go buy that growler and then leave it in the back seat of your car on a hot day!
Light reacts with the hops in beer and changes it. You’ll know if your beer has been over-exposed to light if the beer tastes “skunky”. Black and brown bottles do a good job of filtering out harmful light. Stay away from beers in green or clear bottles (that means you Corona and Heineken drinkers)! Opaque or metallic containers for such brands are a safer bet.
Beer lines are generally plastic from the keg to the tap handle. If these aren’t cleaned and disinfected regularly, bacteria can begin to grow in the line, resulting in a sour-tasting beer. How do you know if you’re getting a good version of beer on tap? Ask the bartender when they last tapped the keg. If it’s been two weeks or more, you’re in the danger zone.
Now rally your adventuresome spirit and expose yourself to the breadth of beer being produced by the variety of craft brewers out there. You’re armed with enough information to know when you’re getting a “bad” beer, and likely enough you’re bound to come across a great one!