Enjoying Beer

[TK_05]

Since my cries for a 'Beer 101' thread have gone unanswered, I will just post this off of the Same Adams site.

There is a saying "you have to learn to walk before you can run", and before you learn to taste a beer like a professional, you have to learn to pour a beer like a professional. It's a fact that the way a beer is poured has a direct effect on how it tastes. This has to do with the layer of foam at the top of a glass of beer or the "head". A head can tell you some important things about the beer beneath it. In this case of the Samuel Adams family of beers, the thick, frothy head is a result of all-malt brewing. Beers brewed using adjuncts and preservatives will generally have a thinner head that will dissipate almost completely in a relatively short amount of time. In terms of flavor, a full head on a Samuel Adams beer will release its aroma or nose, accentuating its complexity on the palate.


Pour the Perfect Pint
So how does one go about pouring the perfect pint? Follow these five simple steps and you'll be pouring like a pro in no time.

Step 1:
First, you'll need a beer clean glass. What's a beer clean glass? It's a glass that has been cleaned with a non-oil based detergent and is free of odors from food, smoke or glass sanitizer. A dishwasher and normal dish washing detergent is usually good enough. Make sure that the glass is also free of all foreign substances such as film from lipstick or detergent or anything containing animal fat (which will break down the head in the glass). A beer clean glass will release CO2, hold a head and will leave a lace of foam behind as the beer is consumed.

Step 2:
Place the beer clean glass at an angle just below the faucet on the draft tower. Do not let the faucet make contact with the glassware! Open the faucet all the way in on quick motion.

Step 3:
As the glass fills, slowly return the glass to an upright position.

Step 4:
The final part of the beer should be poured right down the middle of the glass to produce a dense head.

Step 5:
Close the faucet completely and serve immediately!


5 Steps for Enjoying Beer

Step 1: Visual Appraisal
When looking at a Samuel Adams Boston Lager there are a couple of things to notice right away. First, its deep, amber complexion, which is a result of the Caramel 60 malted barley. Second, notice its clarity. Samuel Adams Boston Lager is very, very slightly veiled because we use only malted barely - no corn, rice or other adjuncts - so there is a very slight amount of protein floating in the beer. True cloudiness is a characteristic of a wheat beer. Wheat beer styles such as our Summer Ale and Samuel Adams Cherry Wheat are generally not fully filtered and in some cases they're left completely unfiltered. The result will be cloudiness of 'veil'. A very cloudy Samuel Adams Boston Lager is not a good sign, it means that the beer is getting old and starting to break down.

Step 2: Aroma
Next, gently swirl the beer in your glass to release a little of the carbonation and esters and inhale the aromas. Samuel Adams Boston Lager has distinctly floral, hoppy nose, balanced with a malty sweetness reminiscent of caramel or toffee. Now it is time to see if that balance carries over into the flavor by tasting the beer which is a two-step process.

Step 3: Body
As the beer crosses your palate the first thing you'll pick up on its structure and substance. Samuel Adams Boston Lager is strong on both counts, it is definitely not watery or thin. The exclusive use of 2-row malted barley gives the beer not only a full mouth feel, but also an overall smoothness that adds to the beer's overall drinkability.

Step 4: Flavor
After assessing the body, the next thing to experience is the ABC's of flavor, A lot of flavor, Balance of flavor, and the Complexity of flavor. You'll get the malty sweetness on the front of your tongue, and as the beer warms and the aromas rise, you should pick up the s***iness of the hops, followed by the lingering hop signature. They should follow in this order, a procession of flavors.

Step 5: Appraisal
Look at your notes from the previous four steps, weigh the pros versus the cons and judge whether the beer was good. There is another, simpler way to tell if a beer is good, by asking yourself if you want another sip. If the answer is yes, than that means the beer is good!

Jim Koch's Tasting Tips

It's important to know that you can taste everything in a beer that I can. I might have the training to identify different flavors and the vocabulary to describe them, but your palate works just like mine. So, what do I look for when tasting a Samuel Adams beer? The answer is as simple as ABC.

A lot of flavor. Initially, you should be able to taste the brewer's ingredients. The body and sweetness of the malt come first. The beer should have real substance on your palate, it should not be thing and watery. That drop of sweetness from the malt should be followed by the s***y, lingering bitterness of the hops. Now, just a lot of flavor does not automatically make beer good, it's equally important for all of these flavors to be balance with each other.

Balance means that no one flavor overwhelms the others. That sweet malt character should be balanced against the floral hop notes and estery fermentation character, creating a harmony of flavors that entice and stimulate the palate. This brings us to the complexity.

Complexity means that the sweetness of the malt should not be the simple sweetness of sugar, but rather a delicate and layered sweetness like honey, caramel, and toffee. The bitterness of the hops shouldn't be simple and harsh, but resinous and piney with a hint of citrus which, when mingled with the malt notes, creates a pleasant sweetness.

I can't tell you the single, best way for you to enjoy a Samuel Adams beer because it's up to you and your personal preference. I can tell you that I like my Samuel Adams beer in a clean glass so I can appreciate its deep color. I also like my beer a little warmer than most people, about 45 degrees, sometimes 50 degrees for an ale. This is why I keep my beer in the warmest part of my refrigerator, the top shelf of the door. A great beer is a pleasure to drink even when it's not ice cold. Finally, I pour the liquid right down the center of the glass. This gives you a beautiful creamy head and also releases the hop bouquet. In the end, the best way to enjoy a Samuel Adams beer is to choose your favorite style, and drink it slowly, appreciating the natural ABCs of Same. Cheers!

[Botz99ss]

Good post, learned some cool things.

[mirroredfire]

mirroredfire's rules to enjoying beer:

1) drink enough of them that you can't taste anymore

2) enjoy

[Nick]

Originally Posted by TK_05

Since my cries for a 'Beer 101' thread have gone unanswered

If I were an expert, I'd gladly write it. One of these days, we're actually going to utilize the FAQ page for things like this. There will be information on all different types of beer, liquors, wines, etc...

[USAFEbritton]

nice