Tricks for Beer Lovers to understand how to taste Beer

[robin623]

This would make a great updated article guys! Or even better we could have a fantastic chain of tips from the Beer Universe users to help people like me taste beer and articluate what we think about them.

Some things i have read recently and have been implementing in my vocabulary:

1. If a beer is warm to the taste: The likely cause is slow turnover; warm beer lines.

2. If a beer is warm to the touch: You are probably drinking from a newly washed beer glass...

3. If a beer is flat and insipid - and lacks character: Most likely you have an old cask.

4. If a beer is too hazy but still fresh tasting: Most likely need to let the cask settle

5. If you have an undesirable woody, plastic taste: There may be a wild yeast infection

6. Frosty Mugs are baddddd. If the temperature is too cold, it will freeze your taste buds and kill the full flavor of the taste.

7. Keep an open mind, and dont judge a beer by its color or odor (sorta like dont judge a book by its cover)

8. Have fun! (most important rule!)

[sloshed]

A lot of people will disagree with your rule #7, but I couldn't agree more. I don't know why people put so much weight into these. Let me rephrase that - I understand their explanation, but I find it silly and often snooty. The mouth is the destination where the beer should be judged. A beautiful looking beer can certainly add to the experience, but I don't smell mine. I don't smell my food, coffee, liquor, juice, or anything else I put into my body. But, that's just me..
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I drink to forget my blackouts.

[ricka182]

I agree as well.. although, on a hot Summer day, there's not much better than an ice cold lager, or five..
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[beerlover420]

#3 & 5 are the main ones that I have issue with. Let's start with #3: If a beer is flat - that means it has been opened and sitting neglected for too long. As for #5, woody is not an undesirable taste, but plastic would be. These tips from the "Beer Universe" are not very helpful at all, IMO. My tip is to keep drinking as many different beers as possible to become your own expert.

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Beer Is Bread

[jesse.zamoraz]

I personally love the look of what I think is a good beer. I also enjoy the sent of a good beer. For example I was drinking a Vaporizer from Double Mountian and one of the best parts was the smell. Mainly because it smelled like pot But I do agree, the taste should be the ultimate judge.