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”

—Mr. D. Wilson

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

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.