Beer Flavor Descriptors

Beer Flavor Descriptors are a common vocabulary used by most beer enthusiasts when describing or reviewing beer. As described in the Evaluating Beer page on this website, the method of evaluating beer can be broken down into four basic sensory methods. These include:

• Smell
• Sight
• Taste
• Touch or Feel

Smell

• Basic Notes in Beer: malty, grainy, sweet, corn-like, hay, straw, graham cracker, bicuity, caramel, toast, roast, coffee, espresso, burnt, alcohol, tobacco, gunpowder, leather, pine, fresh cut grass
• Dark Fruit Aromas: raisins, currant, plum, dates, prunes, figs, blackberry, blueberry
• Light Fruit: banana, pineapple, apricot, pear, apple, nectarine, peach, mango, prickly pear
• Citrus Notes: lemon, lime, orange, tangerine, clementine, grapefruit, Curaçao orange peel, lemon zest
• Other Acidic-Type Aromas: metallic, vinegar, copper, cidery, champagne-like, astringent, chlorine
• Spices, Yeast, etc: phenolic, white pepper, clove, anise, licorice, smoked bacon, fatty, nutty, butterscotch, vanilla, earthy, woody, horsey, fresh bread, saddle, musty, barnyard

Sight

• Beer Color: honey, caramel, russet red, brown, root beer, amber, chestnut, dark red, apricot, orange, black, burnt auburn, garnet, ruby, copper, deep gold
• Beer Clarity: brilliant, hazy, cloudy, turbid, opaque, clear, crystal, bright, dull
• The Beer's Head: persistent, rocky, large, fluffy, dissipating, lingering, white, off white, tan, frothy, delicate

Taste

• Beer Flavors: roasted, bready, bitter, sweet, spicy, fruity, chocolate, caramel, toffee, coffee, malty, tart, subtle, woodsy, earthy, sulfuric
• Intensity of Flavor: assertive, mild, bold, balanced, robust, intense, metallic, harsh, complex, delicate, refined, hearty
• How Beer Taste Evolves: rolls into…, evolves into…, dissipates to reveal…, displays..., underlying…, suggests hints of…, fades to...
• The Beer's Finish: dry, fruity, sweet, alcoholic, warming, bitter, acidic, buttery, wet, quenching, lingering

Touch or Feel

• A Beer's Mouthfeel: smooth, silky, velvety, prickly, tingly, creamy, warming, viscous, hot, astringent, oily
• Beer's Carbonation Level: spritzy, champagne-like, prickly, round, creamy, light, gassy, sharp, delicate
• The Beer's Body: full, heavy, dense, viscous, robust, medium, balanced, medium-light, light, delicate, wispy

The more you practice the art and science of evaluating beer, the more beer flavor descriptors you will acquire. These are but a few and you may find many beer flavor descriptors of your own.

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