The Language of Beer

COLOR
Color in beer is created by the addition of specialty malts which, by the degree of their roast and amount used, create various nuances of color.

Straw – Yellow – Gold – Blonde – Amber – Copper
Brown – Red/Brown – Black

AROMA
Thisi s the most fleeting of impressions when tasting beer, and one brewers work very hard at. At its most complex hints of malt, hop and yeast can be detected; at the simplest, it can be the straightforward aroma of a single variety of hop, or the sweetness of malt. Because it fades rapidly, aroma should always be the first stop in tasting beer.

• AROMA
  Nose produced by the grain used in the beer
• BOUQUET
  Impressions created by the hops used for aroma
• COMPLEX
  Interaction between aroma and bouquet producing many different impressions
• ESTERS
  Produced by malt, these are impressions that can be floral, spicy or citric
• EARTHY
  A characteristic that certain varieties of hops bring to the nose of a beer
• SMOKY
  Can be a very faint impression or powerful, as in a German rauchbier
• MALTY
  Various impressions of sweetness to graininess
• HOP
  The general taste of bitterness with impressions of spiciness or earthiness
• ALCOHOL
  If apparent, in all but the strongest beers the beer is out of balance
• YEAST
  Self descriptive
• SKUNKY/MUSTY
  Old beer or beer exposed to light too long
• CLEAN
  Well-defined aroma/bouquet characteristics
• FRUITY
  Impressions of apples, pears, banana, black currant
• VINEOUS
  Impressions of grapes

TASTE
The two most basic impressions of taste in beer are sweetness, which comes from the malts; and bitterness or dryness, which comes from the hops. Beer offers a range from a simple, refreshing qwaffing beer to a complex, richness of flavor ideal for matching with the best of foods.

• ALCOHOL
  A bitterness that leaves a warm feeling in the mouth
• SMOOTH
  No rough edges through the palate
• BITTER
  General description of the taste of hops
• DIACETYL
  A byproduct of fermentation with an impression of butterscotch
• SWEET
  The general taste impression left by malt
• VINEOUS
  Wine-like impression on the palate
• APPLEY
  An ester produced from the yeast-malt interaction
• CARAMEL
  A higher percentage crystal malt will produce this taste
• ESPRESSO
  A higher percentage of black patent malt creates this taste
• MOLASSES
  Another variation in taste coming from malts
• CRISP
  All taste characteristics are well-defined
• CLEAN
  A fresh impression with a good balance between the various elements
• COARSE
  A beer that is not in balance
• DRY
  No sugars from the malt, hop taste predominates
• RICH
  Describes a substantial malt body
• FLAT
  Generally a lack of carbonation or old beer
• STRONG
  Describes a high alcohol content balanced by rich flavor
• BALANCE
  The relationship between the sweetness of malt and bitterness of hops
• BIG/THICK
  Impression of fullness left by the beer while in the mouth
• THIN
  A watery impression of the taste of a beer
• SALTY
  Impression left by excessive amounts of sodium, calcium or sometimes magnesium

APPEARANCE

• BEAD
  Describes the bubbles in a beer; a well-made beer will have a very fine bubble rising from the bottom of the glass for the entire length of time it takes to consume it
• BELGIAN OR BRUSSELS LACE
  Traces of head left on the glass as a beer is consumed
• HEAD
  Foam generated at the top of a beer as it is poured
• ROCKY or THICK
  Head on a beer that almost has the appearance of whipping cream
• THIN
  Head without much texture or short-lived
• OPAQUE
  Absence of light
• CLEAR/BRIGHT
  Totally transparent
• CLOUDY
  A condition not normal to beer except for bottle-conditioned beer where yeast is added at bottling to add an additional fermentation and depth of character