I cannot say with certainty that it is the least important part of evaluating a beer, but appearance accounts for the least number of points (3) when a beer is judged in a sanctioned AHA/BJCP competition.  Since I use the BJCP as a guideline for my own beer evaluations, I trust that allotment of points is for a reason.

It probably is far less important than the aroma, flavor, mouthfeel, and overall impressions of a beer, but is still a necessary step in evaluation.  Recording a beer’s appearance really breaks down to color, head, and clarity.  I would suggest any of those items might be pretty darn important as a source of a beer’s appeal to an individual before getting to taste it.

Color may seem the most obvious, but it been difficult for me to accurately describe at times.  It is common for me to ask The Wife, “What color is this?” when doing my beer evaluations.  I know what I see, but struggle at times to know exactly what color or shade it actually is.  Fortunately (for me) some colors like amber, copper, straw, gold, and dark brown are pretty common and help me get by during many reviews.

An old favorite shows a good ranges of colors.

You may not think so, but judging a beer’s color can be very subjective.  The type of lighting in the space can affect what you see the color as.  Natural lighting can make a beer appear differently than incandescent or fluorescent light will.  The color of the wall in the room you are in is also a variable when determining color.  The general suggestion is to hold the beer up with a white paper (or ceiling in my case) behind it to take outside colors out of the equation.

The head on a beer is a desirable outcome (see “Pouring”).  A beer should have it, but a lack of head (and trail) could be a glassware issue (soap residue, etc.) and is not necessarily an indicator of something wrong with the beer.

For me documenting the head starts with the height measured in (my) fingers, which provides a consistent description.  Retention is next and a slower dissipation rate is often (but not always) an indicator of a quality brew.  Any trail remaining on the glass should be noted as it, along with the head, can gives hints as to what to expect in flavor and mouthfeel.  Describing the color of the head can be even more of a struggle for me than the beer itself since my ability to distinguish off-white from cream from light beige needs some work.

Clarity I could handle pretty well from the beginning and is, if nothing else, an immediate indicator of a filtered or unfiltered beer.  I will hold the beer up to a light for a little assistance as condensation on the glass can blurry the vision a bit.  Good clarity is something many see as appealing, but many others also look for cloudiness in their beer.  I don’t discriminate!

Appearance is a valuable step to judging beer in/against a specific style since the color, head, and clarity are mostly consistent.  The color tends to fall into a specific range, the head has a certain height and thickness, and the clarity is almost always the same.  At home, appearance gives a slight hint to what the beer will taste like.  Or at least what we think it will taste like.

Whereas appearance accounts for the least number of points (3) when a beer is judged in a sanctioned AHA/BJCP competition, aroma provides the second most (12).  Much more than the appearance, the aroma gives a lot of information as to what you can expect in the flavor of the beer.  For me it also has been a difficult part of the evaluation process as I struggle at times to pinpoint exact components of the bouquet.  I suppose I just need to continue practicing!

Of course evaluating the aroma comes down to identifying characteristics of the malts, hops, and other aromatics (fermentation by-products, fruit, etc.) in the beer.  The struggles that I have is that it is somewhat the equivalent of doing a blind taste test.  You are looking at a glass of liquid trying to recognize things like currants or butter or coffee or molasses or vanilla.  It can be difficult to pick out certain aromas when you really don’t know what coriander or cloves smell like to begin with.  Even if you make yourself familiar with the smell of items like those listed above in their whole form, there will still be aromas and combinations that may stump you.

I think that the components of beer aroma generally break down to those from malts, esters, and hops.  Malts and grains often give off some sweet, roasted/toasted, caramel, or chocolate aromas (among others).  Esters from the yeast fermentation tend to provide fruit-like aromas such as apples, bananas, and berries.  Hops (for me) can be easier to pick out when they are out front and dominant, but much more difficult when they are subtle.  They can give off a wide range of fragrances from flowers to fruits to herbs to spices.  Certainly this is a lot of potential information to process, so you can see where it might be a struggle sometimes to pick out the more delicate parts of the overall bouquet.

It’s pretty important to take in the aroma of the beer shortly after pouring since it has been agitated during the pour and the aromatics have been released, becoming more noticeable at that point.  That may contribute to my struggles since I tend to be writing things down instead of getting to the aroma right away.  I also inhale the aroma multiple times even though it seems that if I don’t get it after the first few, I just don’t get it.  I have read that after about three or four sniffs of the beer, your sense of smell is pretty dulled.  So I guess the advice would be to inhale deeply on those first two.

I hesitate to refer to beer as having an odor when I do evaluations since that word is generally reserved for beers that may have defects.  That applies to homebrews much more so than what you and I will buy off the shelves, but we probably all know of a few beers that have had skunky (light-struck) aroma.

Though it is a part of the evaluation that may have some answers that are more correct than others, you still can only smell what you smell.  The important thing is that the aroma provides a preview (hopefully a good one) of the flavor and is not a step to be skipped.  For me it is definitely a good thing, since evaluating the aroma of a beer means that in moments I will be on to tasting!

This is where I get to share with you what I think I know or at least my opinions on buying beer.  Choosing which beer to buy is another process altogether and an ongoing topic of discussion for another day.

In general I look to three types of places for beer: grocery stores, warehouses, and locals.  Each has strengths and weaknesses and each has a purpose in my beer world.  Searching around is a good way to find what available options are out there in your area.  My bullpen consists primarily of one warehouse, one local, and two different grocery stores depending on what I am looking for.

Good selection

The grocery stores are convenient for me since there are 6 or 7 within a 5 mile radius of my house.  I could leave during halftime of the game and be back with cold beer in time for the second half kickoff.  They provide the standard fare (with a few gems now and again) at a decent price.  Sometimes I just need a cold Labatt Blue after mowing the lawn to make things right.

The warehouses (wine, liquor, beer mega stores) bring a large selection at usually low prices.  If you have family or friends coming into town for a stay or are throwing a party, this is where you go.  The selection provides something for everyone and if you need more than just beer, it’s great for one stop shopping.  Not too long ago, I stopped in to such a place with Cousin Adam and Melissa just after picking them up at the airport to be sure that they (and I) would be comfortable during their stay.

The local places are my favorite and I happen to have a pretty good one close by (though not as close as the grocery stores).  Each place tends to have something that the others do not and there can be a level of knowledge with those who work there that other places can’t match.  The service is often fantastic, especially if you make yourself somewhat of a regular.  If you find a good local, keep going and good beer recommendations will come your way.

The Internet can also be an option for your buying needs.  Though not my thing, online buying is an option for those who are looking for something they just cant find near where they live.  Even beer-of-the-month clubs can be a way to try new beer since the decisions are often made for you.

Tough decisions to be made

There is no way to leave price out of this discussion.  Volume and quantity of beer can be a deciding factor at times, but don’t scoff at the idea of paying a little extra for beer once and a while.  I have a few points that may make you think differently about what you are willing to pay for your brew.

If you are a person that buys and enjoys wine at home (which I do), take a moment to compare what you are willing to pay for wine versus what you spend on your beer.  For this argument we will use a standard 750ml wine bottle for the comparison.

If you typically spend $10-$15 on a bottle of wine, I ask you to consider what you could pay for an equivalent bottle of really good beer.  A 22oz bottle of beer is quite common and can/will run you $4-$9 or so.  That volume is equal to roughly 650ml.  I recently purchased a 25.4oz Jolly Pumpkin La Roja for about $13.  That may seem high for a beer, but that volume is almost exactly the equivalent of the 750ml that you get in a bottle of wine.

I believe this comparison is valid because many of the beers I am talking about have complex flavors and aromas and are consumed in a similar way to wine (at a more relaxing pace for example).  In fact, the La Roja’s suggested glassware (via Beeradvocate) is a flute or an oversized wine glass.  Paying wine-like prices for equivalent volumes of good beer that you will enjoy doesn’t seem crazy to me.

My second point to consider regarding the price of beer involves what you pay for drinks when you are out at a bar, restaurant, etc.  I am not at all suggesting that you stay at home all the time drinking beer alone in the dark.  However, sometimes you don’t feel like going out and relaxing at home with a good beer sounds appealing.

I am fairly confident that you will pay $3 or $4 or $5 plus tip at a bar for just a domestic beer (it may be less at some places).  If that is true, why would you not consider paying $8-$10 for a six-pack or $6-$8 for a 22oz beer?  If alcohol content is your thing, you can even end up with a two for one there as well.  You know what you will end up spending during a night out at the bar so there is no reason not to consider spending a fraction of that for a relaxing evening at home (with or without friends).

I suppose this has all been a somewhat long-winded way of saying that it necessary to shop around to get good beer and do not let price be the thing that scares you away from giving new brews a try.  Price is always a factor, but should rarely be the ultimate decision maker.

A bit of business to take care of before moving on.  If you haven’t given yourself a chance to win some free beer glasses (courtesy of Stella Artois), check out Monday’s entry.  You have until the end of the day on Friday to enter!

When it comes right down to it, the beer’s flavor is what we are most concerned about when choosing a beer (or at least choosing one a second time).  I haven’t met anyone yet that just sits a pint in front of them because the color goes with their outfit or because they use beer as aromatherapy.  Though maybe the latter would be something to look into?

Describing flavor is very personal as each individual has a different impression of flavors and/or overall taste.  I have no idea what caramel or vanilla tastes like to anyone but myself.  That is why I expect that many of you will disagree with some of my reviews and comments on a beer’s flavor.  One of my goals in this process is to figure out what characteristics I like or don’t enjoy so much in a beer and I encourage everyone else to do the same.

Channeling my inner Zane Lamprey

There are a few things about flavor that I think we all have to agree on, such as what tastes our tongue can identify.  We all can pick out bitter, sour, salty, and sweet to varying degrees.  Beers will have all of these tastes in different amounts.  Each of those elements of flavor are picked up on different parts of the tongue, so it is important that the beer travels around the mouth when evaluating flavor.  With some reading (see Charlie Papazian and others) I have started to understand why those tastes are present in any given beer, but I still have much learning to do.

Bitterness and sweetness are probably the most commonly prominent of the four.  Hops contribute most often to bitterness, but they also can provide some level of (floral) sweetness.  Malt influences sweetness the most, but sometimes roasted malts can seem somewhat bitter in flavor.  By-products of fermentation like esters and diacetyl (butterscotchiness) can also contribute to sweetness in a beer.  The interplay and balance between sweetness and bitterness is very important to the overall flavor of a beer.

Sour and salty are (generally) not the taste profiles that a beer wants to have.  They can be present because of carbonation, minerals, or possibly even contamination.

The perception of any of these (bitter and sweet included) can be influenced by other factors as well.  If you are in a room with an overwhelming aroma (pizza, for example) or if your nose happens to be a little stuffed up your ability to pick out individual flavors can be hindered.  What you are eating or have eaten (pizza, for example again) also plays in.  It is important to have a clean palate to really evaluate a beer’s flavor properly.  I don’t really keep crackers on hand, but if you have something bland like that it’s a good idea to have one before drinking, especially between different beers.

Flavor contributes the most to the overall score of a beer judged in a sanctioned AHA/BJCP competition (20) and it factors in the most for my final grading.  Of course you may not agree with my impression of the flavor of a given beer, but as long as we are all drinking good beer and trying new ones when we can I am more than OK with that.

It’s not that I am at all above drinking beer from a bottle or can (see Old Chub review), but proper glassware is very important to the overall beer drinking experience.   When I started this whole beer evaluation thing I read quite a bit about types of beer glasses to help me get a handle on it all.  There is a lot of additional information out there, but here I will let you in on what I do and the rules that I play by.

High quality beers deserve a glass.  As a comparison for the fermented grape juice drinkers out there (myself included), how many of you drink straight from the wine bottle?  (Maybe you shouldn’t answer that.)  An unfiltered beer is very similar to a wine with sediment in it.  If you don’t want the particulates to come with the beverage, it really needs to be poured into a vessel.  I am not saying that you should bring your favorite pilsner glass to the beach or to a back yard BBQ, but it’s worth the extra effort when the opportunity is there.

Appearance and aroma are very important to the enjoyment of a good beer.  As with food, looking good and smelling good can affect the perception of taste.  I would be willing to guess that most of us are more likely to eat or try something if it looks and smells enticing.  When a beer is still in the bottle or can, you don’t get the bonus of using the senses of sight and smell.  For me there have been many times where I have enjoyed a beer much more served in a glass than the same beer straight from the bottle.  You inhale as you take a drink and the aroma adds to and can alter your sense of the flavor.

One of the big dogs.

Though I probably go further with my beer glassware at home than most will want to, it is all still very basic.

I keep my glasses for beer clean.  I hand wash them and let the glasses air dry to avoid soap residues and whatever might be on the drying towel from staying with them.  That stuff can affect the head retention and alter the taste (which will be highlighted in the “Pouring” installment coming next in this series).  Also, most of my beer glasses are just that – beer glasses.  They are not for soda or milk or juice, though an occasional glass of water may be served in one.

It is best to have the glass be close to the same temperature as the beer you will be pouring into it.  I am not the best at thinking that far ahead about my beer choice so a room temperature glass for me is pretty common.  Though we have all pulled a frosty mug out of the freezer to enjoy a beer at some point in our lives, it’s not the best idea if you want the most flavor from your beer.  The ice on the glass waters the beer down and does the same with much of the taste.

I didn’t go out and buy any glasses when I decided to start recording beer evaluations.  I guess that I had accumulated to many types over the years to be more than enough for what I need.  As far as what I have and make use of at home on a somewhat regular basis:

• Mug/Steins (one wider with dimples, one more narrow)
• Pint Glass (someday to be an imperial pint glass)
• Oversized wine glass / Snifter
• Sampler glass (one of those from a brewery tour)
• Wine/champagne flute
• Ommegang glass (almost a tulip shape)
• Pilsner glass
• Weizen glass
• Stange (something slender and fairly close to one anyway)

A few tools of the trade.

My general rules are pretty straightforward.  The beers that are very aromatic and have higher alcohol contents go in larger, more open glasses like the oversized wine glass.  Good dark ales and the like often end up in the pint glass or mug.  The lighter, more delicate beers go in more slender glasses (with the pilsner and weizen glasses being self explanatory).  There are many beers that I am unsure about and I will reference Beeradvocate for a final decision since it has a really good list of what styles belong where.  When in doubt, it probably is good to err on the side of a larger glass to help open up and enjoy the aroma of the beer.

How important is all of this?  I have read (and I believe seen on a Three Sheets episode involving a “ski patrol”) that many, if not all of the breweries in Belgium have a specific glass that is to be used with their beer.  They are chosen or designed to accentuate certain qualities in their brew.  If it’s that important to breweries in Belgium (which make some of the best beer in the world), then I will take the time to at least grab a pint glass for my next beer.