Swallow the beer!

Unlike wine tasting, beer tasting requires the taster to actually swallow the beer to fully appreciate its flavour. This is because the tastebuds for bitterness, a key component of any beer, are located at the very back of the tongue.

In light of this fact, it’s a good idea to limit your tasting session to 10 or 20 beers so that your judgement doesn’t become too alcohol-impaired!

There are two major components of a beer’s taste: flavour and mouthfeel. As your first two sips of any beer are the most sensitive, use the first to assess the beer’s flavour, and the second to rate its mouthfeel (the feel and texture of the liquid within your mouth and throat).

Flavour

On your first sip, don’t swallow straight away. Let the beer linger in your mouth for a couple of seconds so that it comes into contact with all of your tastebuds, and breathe through your nose while you’re doing this. This process is known as “retro-olfaction”, and it allows the beer’s scent to reach your olfactory nerves, which, due to the connection between the senses of taste and smell, intensifies the beer’s flavour.

Mouthfeel

On your second sip, concentrate on the beer’s mouthfeel. You may detect a metallic or astringent quality, or perhaps a powdery feel. Note also whether the beer is lightly or heavily carbonated, and whether it warms your mouth and throat as you swallow it. Other points to consider are the beer’s density, and whether it has an oily or sticky quality to it.

Aftertaste

Another important aspect to consider when tasting beer is the aftertaste. The aftertaste is critical to the overall impression of the beer and should confirm taste and appeal. The flavour and length of the aftertaste will differ significantly depending on the style of beer being tasted: American lagers, for example, often have virtually no aftertaste, whereas a stout will likely have a heavy and somewhat bitter aftertaste. Take note of the aftertaste’s character (sweet, bitter, malty) as well as its length.