Beer Tasting A key part of any beer festival is the choosing of the award winners; an independent tasting panel will go through a standardised procedure to judge each beer. During the process, the experts look for a number of key factors– clarity, colour, smell and taste. Here are some hints to help you get the most out of your selection.
“The variety and high quality of these beers has made me think I should always have a stock of them at home”
The Pour Tilt the side of your glass to the bottle and pour in one steady movement
The Appearance head dense or thin? The Swirl Gently swirl your beer around the glass and take a few good sniffs. Can you smell the ingredients you are supposed to and does the smell encourage you to take a drink? The Mouthfeel
The Swallow
—Mr. D. Wilson
The Style It is not an exact science and you should not worry if you cannot detect and always refresh your palate between brews. Some beers are bottle conditioned which means that there is a small amount of yeast added to the beer. This is perfectly natural and enhances your enjoyment of the product. Let these beers stand upright for a while before drinking and when pouring leave a small amount of liquid in the bottle.
Most light ales are best served cool, while winter beers are traditionally should be, so feel free to drink them how you wish.
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Best of British Beer 03/11/2014 12:28
