SENSORY
INGREDIENTS
AROMA
WATER
Be sure to stop and smell the hop flowers… Beer is a complex
beverage with a wide range of aromas. These may be formed from the
various grains and malt, type and quantity of hops, and various other
aromatic components that can be contributed by the yeast strain. Other
elements may also be derived from the water and the brewing process.
Beer is composed mostly of water. Historically, beer styles have evolved from
specific regions due to the unique local water available to them; with different
mineral components. As a result, different regions were originally better suited to
making certain types of beer, thus giving them regional character. For example,
Dublin, Ireland has hard water well-suited to making stout, while the town of Plzeň
in the Czech Republic has soft water well-suited to making Pilsner.
BODY AND MOUTHFEEL
MALT
Is your beer light or heavy, still or sparkling, simple or robust? These are
a few of the characteristics we use to describe the body and mouthfeel.
A beer that feels clean and refreshing on a hot day will be completely
different from the one we seek on a cold winter night to warm us up.
Carbonation will also change how it feels; rich and creamy or light and
spritzy. Alcohol will also play a factor in the weight and complexity;
think about the texture of skim milk to cream.
The most common starch source used in beer is malted barley. By malting grain,
enzymes are produced that convert starch in the grain into fermentable sugar
which is a key determinant of the final alcoholic strength and body. The final step of
this process, kilning or roasting, determines the colour, flavour and aroma.
A brewer can chose to blend various malts and grains (such as wheat, rice, oats,
and rye, and less frequently, corn and sorghum) to achieve their desired style and
profile of their finished beer.
APPEARANCE
HOPS
The old adage of “you drink with your eyes first” certainly applies to beer,
with regards to colour, clarity and head retention.
The flowering cones of the hop vine are used as a flavouring and preservative agent
in nearly all beer made today and have been used in beer production since the 9th
century. There are hundreds of different hop varieties; some contribute floral, citrus,
and herbal flavours and aromas, while others are desired for bitterness, which
balances the sweetness of the malt. Hops in beer also aids in “head retention”, the
length of time that a foamy head created by carbonation will last.
Colour is usually imparted through a blend of roasted malts and grains.
Standard Reference Method (SRM) is a scale which measures the colour
of beer; from pale straw to opaque black.
Clarity is largely determined by style; some should be free from haze and
cloudiness (pale lager & ale), while others embrace it, such as wheat beer.
Although not applicable to all styles, a thick foam head is widely regarded
as a sign of a well-crafted beer.
YEAST
FLAVOUR
Yeast is the microorganism that is responsible for fermentation in beer by metabolizing
the sugars extracted from grains, which produces alcohol.
There are generally three kinds of yeast used in brewing beer; ale, lager and wild yeast.
Within these categories are hundreds of unique individual strains, all of which produce
different characteristics and flavours. Many of these strains are closely guarded secrets
held by individual breweries and have been in use for generations.
Sweet, Sour, Bitter…. These are the basic flavours we generally associate with
beer. Aroma and flavour go hand in hand; the taste characteristics of a beer
may come from the type and amount of malt used, strain of yeast, brewing
water and type and amount of hops. It may also come from the brewer’s
imagination and include all sorts of fruits and spices.
BY THE NUMBERS
IBU:
ABV:
International Bitterness Units (IBUs) are calculated as a measure of
perceived bitterness of beer. The scale generally ranges from 0-110 IBU and
is best used as a guide, not a rule as everyone’s tastes are slightly different.
The higher the IBU number, the more perceptible the bitterness will be in a
beer. Many brewers today are including International Bitterness Units values
on their packaging to help consumers identify a beer that suits their taste.
Alcohol By Volume (ABV) is the calculated percentage of alcohol
contained in a given package size of beer. Alcohol contributes
more than just its intoxicating effects to a beer but adds weight
and body as well. A beer with a higher percentage of alcohol
may feel richer, fuller and more complex on the palate.
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