Words of the Beer Wise

Brewmaster, award winning brewer, certified beer judge, author and blogger Fal Allen is truly beer wise. He's the former brewer at Seattle's Red Hook and Pikes Place breweries, the former GM of Anderson Valley Brewing and current Brewmaster at Archipelago Brewery. Fal, like most of us who take the time to express our love of beer, want people to understand the complexity and beauty of the beverage. As much as the fizzy yellow macro muck makers often only express beer's ability to achieve a low temperature and refresh on a hot day, those in the know understand that it goes far beyond "drinkability". When trying to express those complexities sometimes it's difficult to put the taste experience into words. There have been many times my brain has slipped into freeze mode while trying to review or describe a beer. Oops, are my mental blue mountains showing? On his blog, Brewing in Singapore, Fal has taken the time to compile a great list of taste descriptors that can help any of us who at times are at a loss for words. Why should wine drinkers be the only ones who sound educated when they describe what's in the glass. Here's a partial list, a bit of the ABC's of Fal's beer tasting terms. It will help all of our beer brains grow and get us well beyond "drinkability".

Accessible- A beer that is easy to drink
Acetaldehyde- A green apple aroma or taste. A yeast (or bacteria) by-product. Often a constituent of young beer
Acetic- Aroma or flavor similar to vinegar formed by aerobic bacteria producing acetic acid
Acidic- A beer with a noticeable sense of acidity. In beer where acid is appropriate the acid should not come from excessive aerobic fermentation (producing acetic acid)
Aftertaste- A term for the taste left on the Palate after beer has been swallowed. "Finish" is a synonym.
Aggressive- A beer with pronounced or over the top flavors. The opposite of a beer described as "smooth" or "soft"
Baked- A brewer with a high blood alcohol content that has remained so for too long. Often the result of over-consuming their own products.
Balanced- A beer that incorporates all its main components in a manner where no one single component stands out. This usually refers to a Hop vs. Malt balance of both flavor and aroma.
Banana- Aromas like banana or notes of Bazooka Joe Bubble gum – from Isoamyl acetate; a fermentation by-product
Barnyard- Used to describe the earthy and sometimes vegetal undertones (often with hints of sweat or urine mixed in). These aromas are most common in spontaneously fermented beers. At low levels some beer drinkers may find this appealing, for others it may offend .At higher levels most people find these notes unpleasing (see Farm Yard)
Big- A beer with intense flavor, or that is high in alcohol.
Biscuity- A beer descriptor often associated with malt flavor. It is sense of dried bread, bicuts or crackers in both aroma and flavors.
Caramel- Aromas or flavors of caramel, browned or burnt sugar, toffee.
Carbonated/Carbonation- The amount of carbon dioxide dissolved in the beer (usually between 4.5 and 6 grams per liter). This is what gives beer its effervescence. Some common descriptors are spritzy, sprightly, zesty, prickly, gassy, sharp, smooth, creamy, delicate, piquant, champagne-like
Cardboard or Wet Cardboard- Having an aroma of wet cardboard (see papery)
Catty Having an aroma of cat urine – always a flaw in beer (similar to skunky)
Chalky-having a mouthfeel that is powdery dusty, chalky, or of particulate
Chewy- The sense of malt that is tending toward overwhelming on the palate.

Fal Allen's complete list of beer terms here