How to Taste Like a Brewer

Craft beer isn’t just a drink – it’s a full-blown sensory experience. Brewers spend endless hours fine-tuning each batch, tasting beer with the same focus and nuance as a sommelier tastes wine. They analyze it, savor it, and break it down to its core elements. To taste like a brewer, you have to go beyond simply quenching your thirst and start evaluating the artistry behind each pint. Read on to learn how the pros do it.

9 Steps to Taste Craft Beer Like a Brewer

1. Use the Right Glassware

Glassware plays a bigger role in beer tasting than most people realize. Different shapes and sizes affect the beer’s aroma, how the head develops, and how the beer hits your palate. To taste like a brewer, use tulip-shaped glasses, snifters, or Teku glasses. These all concentrate the beer’s aroma and allow for swirling, like wine glasses.

2. Check the Appearance

Once your glass is full, hold it up to the light. Is the color golden, amber, brown, or black? Is the clarity crystal clear, or is it hazy like a New England IPA? Don’t forget about the head – a thick, lasting foam is a sign of good carbonation and protein structure. Even the patterns the foam leaves on the glass as it falls can indicate quality ingredients and proper pouring.

3. Evaluate the Aroma

To taste like a brewer, you have to smell your beer before you taste it. Smelling is essential because a huge part of what we “taste” is actually aroma. Gently swirl the glass to release volatile compounds and take a few short sniffs. Can you smell the floral, citrusy, piney, or tropical hop aromas? What about the bready, caramel, chocolate, or coffee malt aromas? You should also pick up on fruity esters, spicy phenols, or sour notes from the yeast. If you smell paper, buttered popcorn, or rotten eggs, these are off aromas indicating flaws with the batch.

4. Taste in Stages

Brewers break tasting into three phases. Take a small sip and let it coat your mouth. Then evaluate:

Attack: This is the first impression of the beer. Is it bitter? Sweet? Tart? What’s the flavor intensity?

Mid-palate: Here’s where complexity shows. Does it evolve into layers? Are there floral hops, deep malt sweetness, fruity esters, or spice? Does one element overpower the rest?

Finish: This is the beer’s aftertaste. Is it crisp and clean, or is it lingering and complex? Is there a lingering bitterness, or does a sweetness coat your tongue?

5. Assess Mouthfeel

Mouthfeel can easily elevate or ruin a beer. To taste like a brewer, think about the texture. Is it light, medium, or full-bodied? Is the carbonation sparkling or soft? Is it as dry or silky as the style calls for?

6. Compare to Style Guidelines

Brewers often use style guides to evaluate how closely a beer sticks to its expected characteristics. For example, a German Pilsner should be light-bodied, crisp, and slightly bitter, while a stout should be rich, roasty, and possibly sweet. Tasting like a brewer means recognizing the beer’s individuality and how it fits (or intentionally breaks) traditional molds.

7. Take Notes

Brewers take note of their tasting impressions to refine recipes or analyze quality. Try jotting down your thoughts on the beer’s appearance, aroma, flavor, mouthfeel, and overall impression. This helps to build your sensory vocabulary and helps you identify patterns and preferences over time.

8. Cleanse Your Palate

Use water or plain crackers to reset your taste buds between beers. You may even want to cleanse your palate between sips of a complex style. Also, avoid flavored snacks or strong spices before a tasting.

9. Revisit and Reflect

To taste like a brewer, you can’t judge a beer on one sip alone. Go back for a second or third taste and see how the beer evolves as it starts to warm. Some nuances only show up over time.

Sip Like a Pro at The Growler Guys

Tasting craft beer like a brewer means slowing down, using all your senses, and appreciating the craftsmanship in every pint. Put your newfound tasting skills to the test at your local Growler Guys. With an extensive rotating tap list, there’s always a new beer to savor and assess as you refine your palate. Stop in for a pint, flight, or growler fill today, and cheers to a greater appreciation for the art of brewing!