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The Beer Guy: Be The Beer-Tasting Kidby LewBrysonThe “Wax on;wax off” scenefrom the 1984 filmThe Karate Kid is afamiliar movie moment.Danny LaRusso begs to learnkarate from Mr. Miyagi, whoagrees to teach him…but then setshim to waxing his cars, sanding adeck, and painting a fence. Danny’sfrustration builds until Miyagi revealsthat the circular “wax on; wax off”motions were training the boy’smuscles to reflexive karatemoves.I write tasting notes onbeers, and I lead beertastings. I talk about thenotes of pear, fresh-crackedrock, warm bread, andgrapefruit peel I get from the beers.And people ask me how I taste what Itaste in beer, or ask me if I reallytaste “All that fruit and spice stuff.”They might say they can’t tasteanything but beer! They want toknow how to get all that out oftheir beer.I tell them, “Wax on;wax off.”Before they hit me, Iexplain that like Danny,they’ve been training tobe a beer taster all theirlives. They just didn’t realize it.Every day of your life, you eat, youdrink, you smell the world aroundyou. Your tongue only tastes fiveflavors – sweet, sour, bitter, salt, andthe ‘savory’ flavor called umami – butwhen those combine with themultitude of scents your nose canrecognize, you’ve got a broadspectrum.Most of us never really think aboutwhat we’re actually tasting. We justsay it’s “Good,” or “Spicy,” or“Delicious.” But every one of uscould be blindfolded and pick out abanana, or roast chicken, or pineneedles just by the smell.The knowledge is there,but we don’t use it.Take a fresh-pouredglass of beer – anybeer, it doesn’t matter.Close your eyes, andsmell it. As you’re smellingit, think of what the smell remindsyou of. Fresh-baked pie? Mowing thelawn? Ripe apricots? Just-cut lumber?Look for something, anything, thatreminds you of somethingyou’ve smelled before…thentake a sip and do the same.Scent memory is powerful;every time I slice a crispgreen pepper, an oldgirlfriend comes to mindbecause the perfume she wore –Alliage – had hints of that same freshscent. Smell your beer, and let theassociations happen.When they do occur to you, don’tjudge them, or be afraid to say themout loud. I just did a beer tasting lastweek where someone tasted SlyFox Royal Weisse – a beer withlow hopping rates – and said“That’s really bitter.” BeforeI could say anything, a moreexperienced beer drinker inthe tasting blurted out, “No, it’snot, weiss beers aren’t bitter!” Thefirst person looked stricken.I jumped in, and explained that whileRoyal Weisse isn’t very bitter fromhops, it does have a highercarbonation level,more fizz, thatgives theperception ofbitterness. Itook theperson’s glassand swirled andshook it to knocksome of the fizz out, then handed itback and asked them to taste it again.They agreed: big difference, and theycould now taste the banana I’d talkedabout. They were right, the beerdid taste bitter, but now it didn’t.Beer tasting isn’t some black artyou have to go to school tolearn, and it’s notsomething beersnobs and beerwriters made up tomake the rest of usfeel left out. It’s justlike tasting food. Yousmell, you taste, and youthink: what else smells andtastes like this? Then comes theimportant part: do I like that, andwhat do I like about it? That’s wherethe value of thinking about your beercomes home.The best thing about opening yourmind to tasting what’s in your beer isthat it will bring you to think moreabout what you’re tasting every day.You’ll taste new things in your food,in your other drinks, and smell newthings on the breeze.Your world ofpleasures willexpand. It’snot all aboutbeer, afterall; trainingaside, Mr.Miyagistill gothis carswaxed.seesmelltasteHeadyTimes v.50 Origlio Beverage • www.origlio.com 19