Beer Tasting Terminology


Acerbic

Describes a bitter, astringent taste in beer. Not as biting as the taste descibed
as acidic.


Acetic

Displaying a flaw produced by certain airborne bacteria which impart a sharp,
vinegary smell and taste to the beer.


Acidic

Exhibiting a biting, sour taste (lemon juice, for example) often produced by
citric acid. Many people confuse the word acidic with acetic.


Acidulous

Mildly acid. If stronger, the taste would be described as acerbic or acidic.


Acrid

Exceedingly biting or pungent in taste or odor. Can be very irritating.


Aroma

Refers to the natural odors of the ingredients. As time passes, the aroma
diminishes in intensity.


Aromatic

1. Possessing and enticing, nose-tingling scent. 2. A substance with essential
oils that surrenders a fragrance.


Assertive

Having a bold quality that is instantly apparent.


Astringent

Harsh, severe, dry, mouth puckering. The mouth-feel sensation one experiences,
for instance, when eating an unripe persimmon.


Austere

Displaying a rather severe, simple taste that is quite hoppy, acidic, or tannic.


Baked

Exhibiting objectionable sulphuric and wet cardboard odors and a developed
bitter flavor caused by overlong storage in a hot environment.


Balanced

Said of a beer whose sensory components such as alcohol, acidity, sweetness,
bitterness, fruitness and tannin are in harmony with one another.


Biting

Jolting, stinging, or startling the mouth’s pain receptors with a short caustic
sensation.


Bitter

Sharp or biting taste. Though disagreeable in large doses, a moderate level of
the right type of bitterness gives beer a refreshing lift and helps balance the
sweetness of the malt. The primary is usually hops, but roasted grain or malt,
as well as inept brewing, can also contribute to bitterness.


Bland

Mild, dull, without distinction. Drinkable but without character.


Body

The thickness of beer as perceived by the sensory perceptors in the mouth.
The consistency can be thin, medium, or full bodied.


Bouquet

Defines scents that result from the chemical interactions of ingredients during
the production of maturation periods. As time passes, the bouquet becomes
stronger and more complex.


Bready

Redolent of freshly baked bread. Yeasty.


Breed

The unmistakeable qualities of class in a beer. Such beers come from brewers
who have proven their superiority over a period of decades, if not centuries.


Brilliant

Crystal clear except for the hue and depth of color. Bright is a synonym.


Briny / Brackish

When a liquid or beer is very salty, it is described as briny. When the salinity
is outright unpalatable, the term brackish is often used.


Brisk

Having a fresh, spirited flavor or an animated effervescence.


Burnt

Manifesting the smell, flavor, or discoloration of grain or malt that is roasted
beyond the scorched point.


Caramelized

Possessing the deep amber color of the sweet toffee-like flavor of burnt maltose,
sucrose or other forms of sugar.


Character

A distinct, interesting personality.


Cheesy

Smelling or tasting like cheese.


Chewy

Dense enough to seem somewhat chewable.


Chocolaty

Resembling the flavor of cocoa. In beer, this taste develops from roasting
the barley.


Cidery

Smelling or tasting of fermented apple juice. This is usually a defect and should
not be confused with an apple-like odor and taste, which can be positive.


Citric

Possessing the sour, puckerish, acidic flavor typical of fruits of the genus.


Citrus

Citron, cintronella, grapefruit, kumquat, lemon, lime, mandarin, orange (sweet
and bitter), pomelo, tangelo, and tangerine.


Clean

Pure in taste and fragrance and free of foreign elements. Like springwater.


Clear

Describes a degree of clarity between brilliant and hazy.


Cloudy

Describes a murkiness caused by minute suspended particles.


Complex

Exibiting levels of depth that are subtly and richly interwoven. The overall
characters of a beer.


Cooked

Evincing an undesirable flavor imparted by the pasteurization process.


Crisp

Displaying a firm, snappy texture with a fresh, clean and sharp taste.


Delicate

Pertaining to flavors and smell with refined, soft-spoken subtlety or elegance.
A delicate is medium bodied, never full.


Distinctive

Possessing a unique personality.


Distinguished

A compliment saved for beers with undeniable greatness. Superior. Extraordinary.


Dry

In terms of taste, dry is the opposite of sweet. A dry beer has a very low residual
sugar level.


Faded

Said of an opened beer that has lost its positive attributes due to the prolonged
exposure to air.


Fatty

A brew with a rich, unctuous mouthfeel, but insufficient acidity to balance qualities.


Fecal

Emitting the odor of the excrement of various mammals, including humans.


Fetid

Foul smelling. Malodorous. Stinky. Stenchy. Rank.


Finesse

Revealing distinguished qualities in a low-keyed, unassertive manner.


Finish

Another term for aftertaste.


Flabby

Said of a beer that is not balanced because it lacks in sufficient acid.


Flat

Undercarbonated; lacking sufficient effervescence.


Fruity

Possessing the taste and fragrance of fruit in general or of a specific type of
fruit such as pineapple.


Gassy

Overcarbonated, especially with oversized bubbles.


Generous / Expansive

Freely releasing a powerful bouquet and/or flavor.


Glittering

Reflecting light with sparkle and brilliance.


Grainy

Displaying the smell or flavor of the cereal grain (mostly of corn, rice and other
adjuncts). In beer tasting, this negative attribute does not refer to texture.


Grainy Malt

Exhibiting both a grainy and malty odor and flavor.


Harsh

An unpleasant or irritating odor or taste.


Hazy

Describes a degree of clarity halfway between clear and cloudy.


Heady

High in alcohol; intoxicating.


Herbaceous / Herby

Tasting or smelling of a basic cooking herb. Specific nuances include: basil,
bayleaf, chervil, coriander leaf, dill, marjoram, oregano, parsley, rosemary,
sage, savory (summer and winter), tarragon and thyme.


Hoppy

Exhibiting the odor or flavor of hops. They are predominantly bitter, but also
display herbaceous and estery overtones.


Hollow

Describes the taste sensation that has a pronounced beginning and ending,
but a feeble middle.


Immature

Beer that has not been sufficiently aged in the vat, cask or bottle.


Insipid

Devoid of or meager in taste, odor or character. Unexciting


Intense

Having a scent or taste that is highly concentrated. This quality can be an asset
or an indication of a poorly executed brew.


Lactic

Manifesting a sour milk odor and flavor. In beer it is often caused by bacterial
contamination.


Light

1. Pale in color. 2. Thin in consistency. 3. Low in alcohol. 4. Low in calories.
Or all of the above.


Malty

Having the scent or flavor of germinated barley.


Medicinal

Revealing the disagreeable flavor associated with unsweetened medicines
and aerosol disinfectants.


Metallic

1. Possessing a tinny finish which comes from the hops. Acceptable if not
excessive. 2. Having an undesireable taste that is picked up from either the
can container or from corrosive metal equipment such as pipes.


Mid-taste

The phase of the flavor-detecting process that takes place between the
foretaste and the aftertaste. Most flavors are easiest to perceive during
this period.


Mineral

Exhibiting the flavor of mineral (not metal). The principal source is the water
ingredient, though malt or hops can also pick it up from the soil they grow in.
One specific and distinct mineral flavor is salt.


Molasses-like

Similar to caramelized, but displaying more of the sweet, bitter, burnt notes
of the syrupy by-product of cane sugar manufacturing. A definite flaw when pronounced.


Moldy

Musty or stale in odor or taste; reminiscent of a damp wooden cellar.


Mouthcoating

Gives the sensation of a film forming on the tongue, tooth or mouth.
Can have a oily, greasy, dusty or sticky feel on the palate.


Mouthfeel

The in-the-mouth sensations other than taste; temperature, moisture content, etc.


Muscular

Displaying a firm, strong sensory quality.


Musty

Referring to a repugnant stale of moldy odor or flavor.


Nose

The scent of a beer encompassing both aroma and bouquet. A big nose usually
refers to a powerful, complex bouquet.


Nose Filling

Of sufficient aromatic intensity to make a dynamic impact on the olfactory
sensory mechanism.


Nutty

Exhibiting a taste or scent that hints of nuts.


Off

A beer that doesn't exhibit its expected characteristics or level of quality.


Oily

Having slippery textural and mouthcoating qualities of mineral or vegetable oil.


Oxidized

Pertaining to a beer that has reacted with the oxygen in the air. Beers that are
over exposed to that element darken or develop a leathery or pungent, burnt-
Madiera-like odor and taste.


Post-Brewery Defect

A flaw such as being scunky which develops after the beer has left the respon-
sibility of the brewer. Shippers, importers, wholesalers, retailers, and consumers
can mishandle or mis-temperaturize the product.


Powdery / Chalky

Consisting of minute pulverized granules. Sometimes the particles are so fine
that they go undetected until they come in contact with the tactile receptors
in the mouth.


Powerful

1. Having a strong flavor or smell. 2. High in alcohol content.


Residual Sugar

The unfermented sugar in a brew.


Resinous

Displaying a turpentine-like taste and scent that is undesirable in beer.


Rich

1. Having a delicious abundance of a desirable quality.
2. Smooth, velvety texture.
3. Sweet, but not cloyingly so.


Roasted / Toasted

Exhibiting the odor or flavor of grain or malt that has been surface browned
but not burnt.


Rocky

Descibing a head with a dense, bumpy surface.


Rough

Evincing harshness or astringency as the beer is sipped and swallowed.


Rounded

Balanced, void of crude edges.


Salty / Saline

Having or resembling the taste of table salt.


Scorched

Tasting or smelling somewhere between roasted and burnt.


Sever

Having a harsh and stubborn flavor.


Sharp

Producing an acute piercing sensation that is usually quick and pointed –
and harsh, bitter, acidic, spicy and/or pungent in tone. Piquant.


Smoky

Tasting or smelling of wood smoke, as with Rauchbier.


Smooth

Produces a pleasant tactile sensation in the mouth and goes down the throat
easily.


Soapy

Smelling or tasting like an inexpensive fat-based soap bar.


Solventy

Exhibiting the odor and flavor of acetones. (Think of nail polish remover.)


Sound

Describes a drinkable beer, but not necessarily a quality one.


Sour

In the limited sense, sour means acetic. On broader terms, it simple denotes
acidity or tartness, whether the tastant is acetic or acidic.


Spicy

Having the taste and aroma of spices in general.


Sprightly

Subtle effervescence.


Stale

No longer fresh. Flat and insipid.


Straightforward

Openly manifesting its characteristics. Because a straightforward beer has no
nuances, it is best consumed without further examination.


Strong

1. Abundant in one or more distinctive qualities or ingredients. 2. Having a
high alcoholic content.


Subtle

Speaking delicately to the senses.


Sulfuric / Sulfurous

Emitting an unmistakable, offensive nose-prickling odor similar to that of
rotten eggs, or a just-struck match.


Sweaty

Redolent of human perspiration.


Sweet

Tasting of sugar (fructose, sucrose, maltose etc.) or honey.


Tacky

Having a sticky, adhesive mouthfeel.


Tangy

Sharp, pungent or zesty in odor or taste.


Tannic

Produces the astringent mouthfeel sensation of tannin.


Tart

Acid or sour, usually in the positive sense.


Taste

Of or pertaining to such gustatory sensations as sweet, sour, salty, and bitter.


Texture

The feel of beer in the mouth.


Tired

Lacking freshness.


Unctuous

Having a rich, smooth, fatty or oily mouth-coating character.


Vapid

Insipid. Dull. Without character.


Vegetal

Exhibiting the aroma or taste of edible non-woody stemmed plants, and in
particular, vegetables.


Velvety / Silky

Possessing a rich, smooth texture.


Vinous / Winy

1. Resembling the odor or flavor of white wine. 2. Noticeable alcoholic content.


Warming

Creating the semblance of increased heat in the mouth by means of the beer’s
spicy or alcoholic components.


Weak

Lacking in odor, flavor, color and/or character. Having a low level of characteristic
ingredients.


Woody

Revealing the taste or aroma of wood in general, in which beers can pick up a
woody note from storage barrels.


Yeasty

Smelling of fresh, fermenting or fermented yeast.


Zestless

Having lost its flavor.


Zesty

Lively and Piquant.
Baked Apple