BROUGHT TO YOU BY HOW TO TASTE BEER Whether you are a seasoned beer taster or a novice, these tips from Australian Beer Company’s head brewer Andy Mitchell will help you fake it and make it during GABS. As with any tasting experience, it all comes down to the senses. Look, smell, taste, feel – you can even listen to the bubbles if you wish – or perhaps it’s better to just listen to the brewer. CHECK SWIRL SNIFF 1Once the beer is in a clear glass, give it a good look. Hold the glass in front of you and pay attention to its colour. Pay attention to its consistency, colour and the head on the beer. Don’t hold the beer to a light, as the colour of the light will interfere with the real look and colour of the beer. 2Gently agitating your beer in the glass allows the smells trapped in the beer to escape. This prepares the beer for the next step. Swirling the beer also helps you see the colour and head retention, or how well the head on the beer stays in one piece – this head also traps some of the aromas for you to taste. The emphasis is on gently. Don’t go splashing everyone around you. That is the best way to lose friends quickly. 3Most of what you experience when you taste something is smell. Don’t believe us? Hold your nose and taste something. Then taste it again normally. You will notice a huge difference. Take a deep sniff of the beer to fill your nose with its aroma. This will give you a basic idea of the smell and the taste before you drink it. Sniff but don’t inhale the beer through your nose. You’re bound to choke and make a scene and no one wants that! TASTE FEEL OVERALL IMPRESSION 4At this point, you should be noting the consistency of the beer in your mouth (called mouthfeel) as well as some of the basic flavours in the beer. Take a small sip of the beer. Remember that you are trying to experience the beer, not down it like at a party. Swish the beer around in your mouth so all your tastebuds get their turn with it. Don’t guzzle, scull, or drink out of a shoe. 5While the beer is still in your mouth, breathe out through your nose. This action, called retro-olfaction, will be similar to your initial smell of the beer, but should be slightly different due to the temperature difference of the beer. At this point, notice the different flavours of the beer, including sweetness, bitterness and acidity/tartness. 6How does this beer make you feel? Do you want to drink it at the beach with a salty mouth? Would it taste delicious with dessert? When do you want to drink this and do you want to take it home with you? It’s not just the beer making an impression on you. You are making an impression on the beer. Treat it with respect. Enjoy it. Savour it. 14 THE GREAT AUSTRALASIAN BEER SPECTAPULAR <strong>2015</strong> <strong>gabs</strong>festival.com.au
Born in the rural village of Yenda, comes a craft beer range that delivers exactly what’s on the label. An Australianstyle pale ale with pronounced floral and tropical fruit hop aromas and subtle malt character. An American-style IPA with lots of attractive hop aroma and big fruity, citrus and berry hop character. A Helles-style lager, with an intense but refined hop aroma, full strength with more malt flavour than a typical Australian lager. An exciting mid-strength pale ale, layered in malt complexity, with malty burnt sugar aroma and rich flavours. Light amber in appearance with malty flavours, clean hoppiness, and an aroma that’s strong on passion and citrus. 4.5% ALC.VOL. 5.4% ALC.VOL. 4.2% ALC.VOL. 3.5% ALC.VOL. 4.2% ALC.VOL. Facebook/YendaBeer Twitter/YendaBeer Instagram/YendaBeer
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