Rating Beer

In tasting beers, we exercise all of our senses.When using a point system, five points each should be assigned to appearance, taste, bouquet and the finish of the beer. The overall impression should account for another five points, with your maximum total being 25 points.

Appearance (5 points)

The first sense that comes into play is that of sight. Beers properly poured (mostly straight up) in a clean glass should produce a rocky head of hues reflecting the color of the beer. Tiny bubbles, like those in the finest champagne, are the most desirable. While most beer is bright (free of yeast or sediment), many beers have a natural haze and sediment. This can be an indication of the beer's handcrafted quality and is in no way negative. In fact, it is usually a very good sign of authenticity. In color, beers range from very light greenish-yellow (straw), not unlike Chablis, for the pilsner style, to the almost opaque, black-as-night of stouts and porters, to the beautiful pinks of fruit-flavored lambics, with almost every conceivable variation in between. The color of beer is derived from a blend of malted grains. What grapes are to wine, malt is to beer. As they are harvested, barley and wheat contain starch and must be malted (germinated) in order to convert the starch to fermentable sugar. Heating arrests germination, and its length of exposure to the grain determines the color of the malt and, consequently, the color of the beer. Color, as in every other sensory experience, is enhanced by comparison.

Sound (0 points)

It is traditional to toast by clicking glasses so that the auditory sensation can be experienced. Wheat beers are clicked at the bottom of the glass.

Bouquet (5 points)

Bouquet is the combination of two aromas: the wholesome, fresh, earthy quality of malted barley combined with the bitter, pronounced, antiseptic aroma of hops. Both alcohol and yeast contribute to the bouquet, but to a lesser extent than malt and hops in most beers.

Taste (5 points)

The taste confirms the sensory impressions of sight and smell and exposes the beer to the various taste buds in every part of the mouth. The amount of fermentable sugar in the malt is known as the gravity and is dependent upon the volume of malted barley used in relation to water. The more barley, the more fermentable sugar, the fuller and more powerful the taste. Beers may be dry (lacking sugar and usually with a strong bitter hop character), or fruity (the presence of sugar), or rich (a full taste of malt and fruit). They will have varying degrees of acidity. Notice, for example, the acidity of weizenbier, which is complemented, but not for comparative tastings, with a slice of lemon. While the strength of a beer has little to do with its overall quality, alcohol itself does play a part in determining the taste of the beer and, of course, so do the bitter hops which season the beer in the same way that oak seasons some wines.

After-taste (5 points)

Beers should first be swirled in one's mouth with a confirming hearty swallow. The after-taste is the lingering finish in the taster's palate that confirms the taste. It should be clean and pleasant, inviting a second drink.

Overall Impression (5 points)

While the opportunity to taste and compare beers in an academic fashion is significant, beer is produced for the enjoyment of drinking. The overall impression that one receives from comparing the appearance, bouquet, taste and finish of a beer should add up to the total of the individual parts. Beers rating 20 to 25 are outstanding, 15 to 20 very good; 10 to 15 good; and below 10 ordinary.

Beer rating information from Merchant Duvin