LEARNING ABOUT BEER AND TASTING

Copyright (c) Alan Marshall, ak200032@sol.yorku.ca, revised, May 9, 1995

URLs:

ftp://ftp.stanford.edu/pub/clubs/homebrew/beer/rfdb/beer-learning.faq
ftp://lager.geo.brown.edu/pub/virtual-pub/beer-learning.faq
http://hbd.org/brewery/faq/TastingFAQ.html

Well, I've donned the asbestos labcoat and entered the world of FAQ writing again. I suspect that there are many alt.beer and r.f.d.b readers that want to learn more about tasting beer, but don't know where to start. I suppose some of us can be intimidating with our use of terminology and language. However, one of the strengths of alt.beer and r.f.d.b has been its friendliness toward the sincere and those paying heed to the group charters.

In the spirit of friendliness and cooperation I present the beta-test 2.2 version (I'm not recording a revision history -- what do you think I am, a software developer?) of the r.f.d.b "How to learn more about beer and tasting" FAQ. As usual, comment are welcome, and flames will be redirected to the person that started the "Great Rock Boozers" thread.

I dedicate this FAQ to my good friend Binger, who stood up to a nasty bid of flaming when he started posting reviews before having tasted a Pilsner Urquell ;-).

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LEARNING ABOUT BEER AND TASTING

Many newcomers to the wonders of beer, or even many who appreciate good beer can be overwhelmed by the language of beer reviewing. The following was in an email message to me, and I think it is typical of the questions in many readers minds: I wanted to contribute to your tasting, but I find myself lacking in the minute tasting skills that you all show. I believe it has more to do with the fact that I do not brew my own and have never been trained to tell the difference in the tastes, and not because I could not if shown how.

So, here is my question: I will probably start brewing in the next month to month and a half, but until then could you tell me of any books that I can read that will help me in differentiating things more scientifically rather than my extremely subjective methods. Is there such a book, and where can I get it. To paraphrase (quote?) Binger, "Well, pull up a seat, sit down, relax, this is a friendly forum. Pay attention and you'll learn a lot." Honestly, I don't brew either -- there are so many wonderful beers in the world to try, I would not have time to drink my homebrew. Stephen Beaumont, who wrote The Great Canadian Beer Guide, does not brew either. But then, do Siskel and Ebert make films? Would you want Andy Rooney running your state Government?

On the other hand, you can learn a lot about beers by brewing. You will learn about the difference between types of malts, hops and yeasts. For this reason, I read the Homebrew Digest and rec.crafts.brewing.

Another reader asked: "Do beer reviewers have to become arrogant snobs? Can't I simply say 'Good full flavour, nice bite, great aftertaste!'" Of course you can, but think about what you have said: You said you liked it, but you didn't describe it. A good reviewer will tell the reader about the beer so the reader will know what to expect. I have read reviews posted here that were so descriptive, I could almost taste the beer while sitting at my terminal reading. Also, sometimes a reviewer will get carried away describing a beer that they absolutely love. The tone is reverence, not arrogance.

So, how does one start to learn about the technical side of beer? How did you learning in school? Reading the textbooks, doing your homework, discussing with classmates, attending lectures and doing labwork and experiments. The analogies for learning about beer are reading, tasting, discussing, going to workshops and brewing.

1. Reading and Viewing

(a) Books

There are many fine books about beer available. Unfortunately, many bookshops do not carry more than one or two. Some books discuss beers and their characteristics in general, while other books review beers individually. Tasting a beer while reading about the style or specific beer can be a very enlightening experience.

A short list of books to get when starting out would be:

These books are easily enough to get you started. They describe the characteristics of malts, hops, yeast and the flavours they impart. If you read about a particular beer being outstanding for some characteristic and you can buy it, do so, and taste while you read. Another book that is good about tasting terminology is Jamie MacKinnon's Ontario Beer Guide. (I didn't list it above since it is of primarily local interest.)

Rather than detour the reader of the FAQ with long descriptions of the various beer books, I have appended the newly-written "Good Beer Book Guide" where you will find brief descriptions of the books and what to expect.

Samer Farha has compiled a list of books on beer from the Library of Congress catalogue. It is available at the archives at ftp.stanford.edu /pub/clubs/homebrew/rfdb/

(b) The Internet

Chances are, if you are reading this, you are already reading rec.food.drink.beer and alt.beer. If you are reading someone's printout of this FAQ, you should try to get Internet access and follow the discussions in these newsgroups. You might also read rec.crafts.brewing (r.c.b.) and possibly subscribe to the Homebrew Digest, which is still being posted in r.c.b since learning about brewing will help you to learn about beer and what influences flavour. The advice of a previous paragraph is echoed: When you read a post describing or reviewing a particular beer, try to find that beer and taste for yourself. The FAQs are useful sources of information as well. The r.f.d.b and alt.beer FAQs have basic definitions of beer styles and Jon Binkley is maintaining a beer styles FAQ.

(c) Magazines and Brewspapers

In addition to books, there are magazines. Zymurgy is primarily for homebrewers, but contains lots of good useful information. Friends of mine often cite things from the Celebrator. CAMRA publishes What's Brewing?, and brewspaper full of beer information, although it has a U.K. bias. There are several newer magazines published in North America, which include: Beer, The Magazine; Beer Magazine; The Malt Advocate and All About Beer. John Lock (lock@mindspring.com) maintains an address list for magazines and brewspapers.

(d) Video

Many of us are products of the electronic media generation, so a word on video tapes is in order. There is a good introductory tape, Beer and Ale: A Video Guide available from Saint Clair Production Company (1-800-546-5034, $24.95 U.S. plus $3.50 shipping and handling, $6.50 s&h to Canada). Watch for Michael Jackson's Beer Hunter on public television stations (available in some video stores and by special order) and Charlie Papazian's home brewing video.

2. Tasting

Your tasting experiences can be quite varied:

  1. From your reading, as described above

  2. Online tastings:

    Participate in the Virtual Pub tastings organized by Joel Plutchak. You might not want to contribute, but try the beer and record your impressions. When the results are posted, compare what others say to what you wrote. You'll be surprised at how good you are. Don't be afraid to post your comments. You won't get flamed (unless you post "I was knocking back the Chimay's with that great rock boozer John Bonham last night. That Chimay is F***ing awesome, but Ice really kicks butt!). In fact, you are more likely to get encouraged to try more, see more, taste more.

    For those with IRC (Internet Relay Chat) there are tastings held weekly. Details are posted to the three beer-related newsgroups several days in advance so that participants can get the beers. Thankfully, for those without IRC, a summary is posted a few days later. These can be very informative reading.

  3. If there is a bar with a good knowledgeable bartender, that can be a great place to learn and taste.

  4. If some of your friends share your love of finer beers, organize a tasting, or find organized tastings in your area.

  5. Brewery tours also give you an opportunity to taste and learn.

  6. Attend a beer festival. There is a separate Beer Festival FAQ -- see if there is one in your area. Some also have workshops to help people learn about beer.

  7. Shop around in beer stores. Read labels, brochures and information circulars. Don't be afraid to try new things.

  8. Keep a tasting book. This is something I do. It allows me to record a few facts (price, packaging, where and when purchased, and when consumed), my impressions about the visual characteristics (the head and colour) and the tasting characteristics (aroma/nose, taste and aftertaste).

    I try to record my impressions during the first half of the glass. I do my rating before referencing experts' opinions (like Michael Jackson or Stephen Beaumont) so that I record my own opinion first. After that, I check what I wrote against what one of the experts has written. Surprisingly, you might find that you and the experts agree a lot, which will build your confidence. When you don't agree, look for the reasons why. If you rated a beer lower than the experts, it could simply be a style that you do not particularly like or a beer that is more extreme in its character than you are used to. If you rated the beer higher than the experts, don't worry about it -- have another and enjoy it. Also, the beer you consumed may have been different from the beer the experts tasted. See the note below.

A tasting book is useful for several reasons:

  1. It helps you understand styles and your impressions of other beers in a style;
  2. It helps you understand and monitor your own progress and development as you learn about beer. Try beers again. Try beers you didn't like before and try them with an open mind -- you might find you like them better the second time. Try beers you liked before and review them critically again. Sometime you will find that your rating go down slightly. That is a sign of a growing ability to distinguish the good from the very good from the excellent.

Quoting Binger again:

Never trust your first impression, but let it guide you. Often, I've gone back to a beer that didn't really turn me on the first time, just to see if it was the wrong frame of mind or circumstance to try that beer, or a bad bottle/six. I've yet to re-attempt those beers I strongly disliked (not too many) but will at a future date.

A comment on disagreeing with the experts:

You might also find that you are differing from the experts opinions for reasons other than differing tastes:

What if you cannot attribute your vastly different opinion to one of these factors? It may simply be a matter of taste. The most common disagreement is to dislike a "great" beer. Do not be intimidated or put of if you taste a top-rated beer and do not like it. It could simply be a style that is new to you. One of my favourite beers is Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbier Maerzen, which Michael Jackson gives his highest rating: ****. At a tasting hosted by Michael Jackson and attended by many knowledgeable beer fans, about two-thirds of the attendees dumped their tasting samples. Why? It is a strong tasting, smoky flavoured beer that they found to be foreign or unusual.

3. Discussing

When you post, you will get feedback. Some may be critical, but that's part of learning. Talk with friends, publicans, homebrewers, anyone that knows something good about beer. Ask questions, listen and learn.

To quote Binger: Rather than worrying about being right, or using the "expert" terminology, describe the beer like you would any other food: Sweet, dry, light, heavy, sharp.... give us the texture, and colour. If you never had a piece of pizza before, how would you describe it after your first one?

"An interesting foodstuff, with a powerful cheese aroma; a tang of tomato sauce and a hearty crust with the most delicate dried bubbles. Just a touch of oregano, and sporting a light to medium brown colour. Seems like it would go well with beer." Drop into the Virtual Pub and discuss there. Details are in the main FAQ.

4. Attending Workshops and Lectures

Beer workshops and lectures are not as common as you might like. The Bard of Beer (Michael Jackson) travels extensively and promotes his books. If you get the opportunity to attend a tasting hosted by him, do it. He is quite entertaining and informative.

Beer festivals often have workshops about beer tasting. Some stores that cater to the fan of good beers hold lectures, tastings and workshops to promote their selections of beers. You might find a beer appreciation society in your area. Ask them if they organize educational workshops.

5. Brewing

As I said earlier, brewing is an excellent way to learn how ingredients influence flavours. So were do you start? The rec.crafts.brewing FAQ is helpful. So are the homebrew archives at ftp.stanford.edu /pub/clubs/homebrew/ Charlie Papazian's book, The New Complete Joy of Homebrewing, is a very helpful and informative book whether you brew or not. There is also a brewing newsgroup, rec.crafts.brewing and an email digest, the Homebrew Digest. You can subscribe to the Homebrew Digest by sending a message to homebrew-request@hpfcmi.fc.hp.com. The Homebrew Digest is also archived at Stanford.

Conclusion:

Is that enough? Well, get to work, you have some homework to do. But please, don't throw yourself into your homework too much. Don't try to taste and drink too many beers at once. First, getting drunk is a health hazard and, depending on the circumstances, a safety hazard too. Second, your tastebuds are numbed and dulled when you drink too many beers. ------

Appendix
The Good Beer Book Guide

I started to expand the section on beer books in the Learning About Beer and Tasting FAQ, but soon found that it completely disrupted the reading of the FAQ. Therefore, I have relegated these reviews to this Appendix. It may become a separate FAQ in the future. Submissions are most welcome.

This guide is organized according to the geographic scope of the books.

1. Books with a Global Focus

Michael Jackson, The Simon & Schuster Pocket Guide to Beer 4th edition, revised, updated, and expanded. New York: Fireside Books (Simon and Schuster), 1994. ISBN: 0-671-89813-0. Also known as (Michael) Jackson's Pocket Guide or MJPG94 in the FAQs I maintain.

This book briefly reviews and rates over 1500 beers from around the world. Despite its small size (it will slip easily into a pocket), it is likely the world's most comprehensive book on beer, in terms of scope. There is section describing beer ingredients and a glossary in the Introduction. The 1994 edition has expanded its coverage of Asia, Australia and New Zealand's beer. The books is organized by countries and regions. Many beer lovers consider this book a necessity. It cost me $16.00 in Canada; figure on about $12.00 in the U.S. and #10.00 in the U.K.

Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson's Beer Companion, London: Duncan Baird Publishers, 1993 ISBN: 1-55144-001-6

This book deals with different styles of beers, which is the basis of its organization. This is a larger book -- bordering on the "coffee table book" genre -- so don't plan on tasking this with you on your beer tasting jaunts. There is information of use to the beginner, as well as the seasoned cervisophile. This is a great book to put on a gift list. (In Canada, I paid about $40.00)

Gregg Smith, The Beer Enthusiast's Guide, Pownel, Vermont: Storey Communications, Inc., 1994. ISBN: 0-88266-838-2

This small, inexpensive ($12.95 U.S./$17.50 Canada) could have been better laid out -- I would have preferred a pocket book format. Nevertheless, this is a nice book filled with information that, while targeted at apprentice beer judges, is still quite accessible to beer lovers starting just out. It describes the brewing process, beer styles, and the resulting characteristics of beers. It also lists about 200 U.S. brewpubs and microbreweries with addresses and phone numbers in an appendix.

Fred Eckhardt, The Essentials of Beer Style, Portland, Oregon: Fred Eckhardt Communications, 1989. ISBN: 0-9606302-7-9

This book is rather eccentric. It has lots of information to the beginning student of beers, yet it is also one of the best little books for technical information about various beers. Eckhardt also uses a rather unique taxonomy, classifying beers by primarily by colour. It is particularly good about describing tasting terminology. This book is hard to find (impossible?) in bookshops since it is self-published. Look for it in brewing supply shops.

2. Books of regional interest

There are many excellent beer guides and books that deal with beers of a specific country or region. For example, Michael Jackson has one about Belgian beers, but I have never seen it, nor do I have the exact title or bibliographic details. Since I live in Ontario, Canada, but study in the U.K., my beer library reflects this in its representation. What follows is my geographically-biased guide to beer books with a local focus:

(a) Canada

Jamie MacKinnon, The Ontario Beer Guide. Riverwood Publishers, Sharon, Ontario

The beer scene in Ontario has developed and changed so much in the past two years that this book is getting somewhat out of date. I do not agree with MacKinnon's preoccupation with the visual aspects of beer -- beer is for drinking, not viewing -- nor do I see the sense in using a five star system when most other writers use a four star one. But don't let these negative comments deter you from buying this book if you see it. Frankly, I find the opening sections and chapters to be one of the best introductions to beer and brewing that I have ever read.

Steven Beaumont's Great Canadian Beer Guide. Toronto: Macmillan Canada, 1994. ISBN: 0-7715-9031-8

Canada's foremost beer writer has produced the definitive guide to Canadian beers, breweries and brewpubs. This book has relatively little general information about beer. It focuses on the companies and their products. Most of the book is in the three main chapters: One about the large national brewers, Molson and Labatt, one about the regional brewers and microbreweries, and one about brewpubs. (The most significant criticism of this book would be that Steve expects all aspects of brewing to be done on the premise to qualify as a brewpub. This eliminates C'est What? from review since it cooks it wort off-site and pitches it yeast and ferments on site.) For anyone that loves Canadian beer, this book is a must.

Ian Bowering, The Art and Mystery of Brewing in Ontario. Burnstown, Ontario: General Store Publishing House, 1988.

One problem with self-published and boutique-published books is that they are sometimes poorly edited. This is true about this book. While packed with historical information about the Ontario brewing industry, it has little-to-no flow. Despite this, it is an interesting book for those interested in history of beer in Ontario.

Ian Bowering, In Search of the Perfect Brew In Ontario and Quebec. Burnstown, Ontario: General Store Publishing House, 1993.

Like Bowering's other book, this book seems to have been rushed to press before it was ready. (For example, an importer is listed among the firm's that set up brew-pubs with equipment and Hamilton is listed alphabetically after Heidelburg and Kingston.) Its rough edges show, but there is a friendly quaintness to the style. Brewpubs are rated on a four-mug scale, although witty comments are often substituted. Individual beers are reviewed, but not rated.

(b) United Kingdom

Campaign for Real Ale, Good Beer Guide. (Annual) St. Albans, Herts, U.K.: CAMRA.

Now in its 21st edition, the Good Beer Guide is the most comprehensive book about beers of any single country or region. The focus of the book is pubs -- five thousand pubs are reviewed along with most of the beers and brew pubs in the U.K. Beers are not rated on a numeric scale, although from the qualitative reviews you can determine which are the best beers.

Roger Protz, The Real Ale Drinker's Almanac. Moffat, U.K.: Lochar Publishing, 1989

Protz profiles most beers available in the U.K., and like the Good Beer Guide, avoids using a rating system. When and where available, information on ingredients and formulation is supplied. This book does not list or profile pubs although many brewpubs are listed. I find this a useful and interesting book.

no author. Nicholson's London Pub Guide. London: Nicholson (Bartholomew Division of Harper Collins Publishers), 1990. ISBN: 0-9485767-545

This compact little book is handy for the traveller in London and easily slips in one's pocket. While a relatively small portion of the book is dedicated to the good beer pubs, it is useful to find particular theme of pubs: Riverside pubs, Pubs featuring various styles of music, Gay and Lesbian positive, Pubs with outdoor patios, et cetera.

Neil Hopwood, editor. Bradford Real Ale Guide. Bradford, U.K.: Bradford and Keighley & Craven Branches of the Campaign for Real Ale Ltd., 1988.

You are in Bronte country, West Yorkshire with a pub on nearly every corner. Which ones are the best? This guide will tell you! From Bradford north to Ilkley, west to Oakworth and Haworth and south to Wyke, this slim little book reviews the best pubs in Bradford and District.

3. Log Books

Stephen Elliot Hightower, Beer Explorer's Logbook. Niwot, Colorado: Passport to Adventure Press, Inc., 1994

I have a log book. Actually it is two, large-ringed, small Day Runner-sized (6.75 x 3.75 inch) looseleaf binders full of reviews. I guess curiosity got the better of me when I bought this book. Most of it is pages of forms for you to fill in with your reviews and impressions of beers -- room for 51 reviews on two-sided forms to be exact. Each form has a witty or insightful quote from beer industry notables and historical figures. Besides the quotes, is there anything useful in this book? Yes: There is a listing of beer flavours (both on and off flavours) together with the ASBC flavour wheel; There is a listing of styles; and finally, There is a simple glossary.
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Alan Marshall
AK200032@SOL.YORKU.CA
York University
Toronto, Canada