Beer Flavor and Evaluation Flashcards
What are the methods through which we perceive aroma?
Orthonasal: Smell aroma you sniff through your nose
Retronasal: Smell aroma in the back of your mouth, throat, and between the mouth and nose
What are the established Tastes? What is the emerging taste?
Bitter, Sweet, Salty, Sour, Umami
Emerging: Fat
What are the elements of Mouthfeel?
Body: density
Carbonation: crisp and lightness
Astringency: puckering
Creaminess: silky viscosity
Alcoholic Warming: throat warming
What temperature should beer be tasted at?
38-55 F
What are the components of beer evaluation?
Appearance, Aroma, Taste, Mouthfeel, Finish/Aftertaste
Describe the Aroma evaluation techniques
1) Distant sniff: Swirl while holding 6-8 in away from nose and take short sniff
2) Drive-by sniff: swirl and slowly pass glass underneath nose taking sniffs as the glass passes
3) Short sniff: swirl and take 1-2 short sniffs
4) Long sniff: swirl and take long sniff
5) Covered sniff: cover glass, swirl for 3-5 sec, bring to nose, remove hand, sniff
Describe the malt flavors in PALE beer
Uncooked flour, bread dough
Describe the malt flavors in GOLDEN beer
White bread, wheat bread, water crackers
Describe the malt flavors in LIGHT AMBER beer
Bread crust, biscuits, graham crackers
Describe the malt flavors in AMBER beer
Toast, caramel, pie crust
Describe the malt flavors in BROWN beer
Nutty, toffee, chocolate, dark/dried fruit
Describe the malt flavors in BLACK beer
Roast, burnt, coffee, espresso
What kind of flavor and aroma do hops add, what is their source?
Alpha acids isomerize when the hops are boiled, adding bitterness.
Essential oils provide various aromas ranging from piney to fruity to spicy to catty
What is dry hopping and what effect does it have on a beer?
Adding hops at the end of the boil or during fermentation. Adds hop flavor and aroma with reduced bitterness (less alpha acid isomerization)
Describe the aroma and flavor of US hops (traditional and newer)
Traditional:
Citrusy, Piney, Resinous
Newer:
Tropical fruit, catty, onion, garlic
Describe the aroma and flavor of Australian and New Zealand hops
Passion fruit, melon, pear, stone fruit, tropical fruit
Describe the aroma and flavor of English hops
Earthy, herbal, woodsy
Describe the aroma and flavor of German/Czech hops
Floral, perfumy, peppery, minty
Describe the aroma and flavors produced by Saccharomyces pastorianus
Lager yeast produce very clean profiles with minimal yeast related flavors
Describe the aroma and flavors produced by American Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Clean profile. No spicy phenols, minimal fruity esters
Describe the aroma and flavors produced by English Saccharomyces cerevisiae
No spicy phenols. Apple, pear, orange marmalade esters. Highly flocculent resulting in some diacetyl
Describe the aroma and flavors produced by Belgian Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Many clove and pepper phenols. Many apple, pear, banana, orange, and stone fruit esters
Describe the aroma and flavors produced by Weizen Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Lots of clove phenols (4-vinyl guaiacol) and isoamyl acetate esters (banana)
What are the bacteria that enable acidic fermentation and what flavors do they produce?
Lactobacillus - Lactic acid. Crisp, dry acidity
Acetobacter - Acetic acid. Sharp vinegar
Pediococcus - Lactic acid + diacetyl. Sweaty/goaty character
Enterobacter - bilious flavor
Describe the effects of Brettanomyces fermentation
Brettanomyces creates acetic acid, lending tartness to beer so long as oxygen is controlled. Brett can dry a beer by fermenting longer chain sugars after fermentation.
In high oxygen environments, Brett will create phenolic off-tastes (band-aid, plastic, smoky).
Brett is used in lambics, gueuze, flander’s red, oud bruin, and Orval
What flavor compounds are created by Saccharomyces and other bacteria?
Diacetyl: Buttery
Sulfur compounds: Rotten eggs
Acetaldehyde: Green apples/emulsion paint
4-Vinyl Guaiacol (4VG): clove
Other phenols: black/white pepper
Isoamyl Acetate: Banana
Other esters: apple, pear, pineapple, anise, roses, honey
Describe the stages of oxidation in terms of beer flavor impact
1) Hop aroma rapidly decreases
2) Hop bitterness decreases
3) Malt shift: sweet malt flavor increases
4) Generation of Trans-2 Nonenal (T2N) resulting in papery or wet cardboard flavor
Pale beers can generate a waxy or lipstick flavor from T2N
Dark, high ABV beers can develop sherry-like character
What happens when a beer is lightstruck
3-Methyl-2-Butene-1-Thiol (MBT or 3-MBT) is generated by reaction of hop compounds with UV light resulting in a skunky smell/flavor
What off-flavors indicate a draft line infection?
Buttery flavor: Diacetyl, generally from Pediococcus
Sour flavor: Acetic acid, generally from Acetobacter
What off-flavors indicate a process/ingredient related brewing error?
Cheesy or sweaty socks: Isovaleric acid from hop resin oxidation
Metallic: old equipment or water contaminated with metals
Canned corn/vegetal: Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS) not allowed to steam off during boil
Astringent mouthfeel: Can arise from tannins from malt husk polyphenols leached with too hot or basic water. Can also come from over hopping, use of too much spice, tea, burnt malt, or spoilage organisms
What off-flavors indicate a storage issue?
Oxidation related flavors, skunkiness, umami related to autolysis
