I love beer. I love drinking beer. As a twenty two year old male,
I could think of nothing better than tasting a new beer and telling anyone who
would listen. I am a student at the University of Oklahoma, so I know a thing
or two about pounding some cold ones before Anth 1113. But as I got older and
drank copious amounts of beer, I wanted more. I wanted to venture past the Blue
Mountains and get a different taste of Oklahoma.
Oklahoma had just passed laws to legalize home brewing in
2010. As time has passes, I hope that more microbreweries pop up, but for the
time being, I hope to explore the world of Oklahoma breweries and brews. I also
want to explore the many wineries throughout the state. I hope that through my
exploration, people may learn alongside me about sampling beers and we might
acquire some new favorites.
The first thing I had to do when sampling new beers was to
learn some common terms and how to taste beers. For any new beer connoisseur,
getting educated on the lingo is the first step in beginning to try new beers.
A good source for getting into beer is the Beer Advocate Magazine. I’ll
put a link at the bottom of my post. The four steps of their system will be
used in all my beer tastings.
You begin by looking
at the beer. Also remember to agitate, swirl the beer, in order to pull out the
smells and prepare for a better waft. The smelling of a beer is almost as
important as the actual tasting. Because the nasal and oral senses are so
closely related, the importance of preparation is crucial to the beer tasting
experience. Drinking the beer is no race. Take time to sip the beer and allow
for the taste to flood your taste buds.
Another important thing to understand when trying new beer
is to understand terms. Here is a shorter list of terms that I have started to
use when sampling new Oklahoman Beers.
Head- the foam after the initial pour.
Lace – the sideway view of the beer foam, specifically the
pattern.
Agitation – the swirling of beer to release its flavors.
Hoppy – hops taste is strong.
Flat – carbonated beer that loses the effervescence
Dry – beer lacks sweetness
Mellow – A well rounded beer. Not too sweet, not too Bitter.
Just right.
Smooth – soft beers that have a calm refreshing taste.
For the entire list, check out the link below to Brookston
Beer Bulletin.
http://brookstonbeerbulletin.com/beer-tasting-terms/
