MdV:
Merchant du Vin beer e-newsletter – Thursday February
28, 2008: Talking About Beer
MdV & fine beer in the news:
It continues to be a great time to enjoy fine beer in the US - more
varieties and more flavors are out there, more places are offering fine
beer, and the media continues to pay more and more attention
to fine beer: The Philadelphia Daily News included Samuel Smith
Oatmeal Stout in a Feb. 15 article on stouts; the Feb. '08 Wine
Enthusiast magazine ran a feature on Winter Beer Cocktails that included
Samuel Smith and Lindemans; on Feb. 14 the Grand Rapids (MI) Press featured
Ayinger Celebrator doppelbock in a Valentines Day
article (with a bottle photo); and the Vue
in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, wrote highly of Green's in their Feb. 21 article
on gluten-free beer.
In the World Beer Championships, as
reported in the March '08 All About Beer magazine, Ayinger once
again dominated: Celebrator Doppelbock and Jahrhundert-Bier
both tied for first in their categories; Oktober
Fest-Marzen was second in a field of 25 Vienna Marzens.
A full current news listing is
always on our news page;
you can also check local beer tastings,
dinners and festivals on our national events
page
and read previous html versions of this
newsletter at our
If you are interested in beer
glassware, clothing and collectables we also have an online e-store.
Beer Chat from the
|
(Maybe a little help putting your delight
into words) |
|
Beer holds some of the world's great flavors, and people often derive
a large amount of pleasure sharing the delights with their friends or with
their customers. It can be difficult to put some of the enthusiasm into
words, but it can also be fun . . . and it is a necessity for someone like a
server or bartender who is answering questions from a customer. Beer flavors come from a combination of the ingredients and the
techniques used in production, and the brewer's skill in balancing these
elements. It may make it easier to talk about beer
flavors by breaking them down into some general categories: malt,
hops, yeast, carbonation, body and ethanol. As you taste, think of
words that create associations for you -- they may help someone decide
whether to try a new beer. Without too many technical beer-evaluation
words, here's a list that may help describe beer flavors: 1. Words to describe malt
flavors: Malty, biscuity, breadlike, grainy,
rich, deep, roasty, cereal, cookie-like, coffeeish, caramelly,
toffee-like, molasses-like, malt complexity, smoky, sweet, autumnal, burnt
cream, scalded milk, oatmeal, rustic, layered. 2. Words to describe hop
flavor and bitterness: Piney,
citrusy, grapefruity, earthy, musty, spicy, sharp,
bright, fresh, herbal, zippy, lemony, newly-mown lawn, aromatic, floral,
springlike, brilliant, sprucelike,
juniper-like, minty, pungent, elegant, grassy. 3. Words to describe
fermentation flavors deriving from yeast: Fresh-baked bread, clovelike, bubblegum,
yeasty, Belgiany, aromatic, tropical, subtle,
fruity, clean, banana-like (and for some sour or extreme beers) horseblankety, earthy, musty. 4. Words to describe conditioning
(carbonation): Soft, effervescent, spritzy, sparkling, zippy, pinpoint, bubbly, gentle, low
carbonation, highly carbonated. 5. Words to describe body
& mouthfeel: Rich, full, light, slick, creamy, oily, heavy, velvety, sweet, dry,
thick, thin. 6. Words to describe warm
ethanol (alcohol) flavors from strong
beer: Warm finish, heat,
vodka, esters, pungent, strength. In addition to the main
components, there are beers with fruit, or chocolate, or coffee, or pumpkin,
or spices added; there are beers with flavors from wooden casks
and sometimes with influences from whiskey or port that may have
been in the cask before it held beer. Keep it fun, but as you taste a
beer try to remember the words that come to mind. And if a beer really moves you -
really excites you - go for all-out words: uplifting, exciting, encouraging, life-changing, amazing, dynamic,
re-energizing, unbelievable, unearthly. . . if you felt
that way when you tasted the beer, you can't be wrong describing it that way. |
Merchant