With festival season upon us, it seems like a great time to give people an idea on how to go about tasting these amazing beers that are available for us. VBCW boasts over 400 different beers this year, and though the festival is running over three days, trying everything just won’t be possible. With all those different beers out there, just running in and trying everything won’t work out. It is a marathon and not a sprint, and as such, some planning will be necessary.
Strategy:
With so many breweries involved with VCBW this year, going in haphazardly isn’t going to work out. Sure you can pick and choose your favourite breweries, but with such variety, this is an opportunity to try out beers and breweries that you have never had before. So why not focus on one beer style and compare between them? Or try beers in order of light to dark, or from least intense to most intense. Make a plan of attack and you will have a bit more method to the madness that is VCBW.
Evaluation:
There is a great range of flavours and aromas that come from the ingredients in beer. Yeast yields aromas of bold spice and fruit notes as well as delicate floral. Malt offers up bread, toast, chocolate, raisin, caramel and coffee notes along with many others. And hops, our glorious leader in aroma and flavour can do anything from tropical to piney, citrus to floral and a whole range of bitterness as well.
Additionally, the appearance of the beer can range from a hazy wheat to a brilliantly clear lager, and run the whole range between. Look at not just the clarity, but also the colour of the beer, to giving a hint to the malt profile. This scale includes pale straw, amber, red, brown and black and everything between.
Flavour can be broken down into malt, hop or yeast characteristics, but can also include other ingredients or processes. Fruit, spices, smoked malts or wood additions through barrel aging or oak chips will have a huge impact on the flavour of the beer. Also look at the finish of the beer, if it leaves a lingering bitterness or aftertaste in some IPAs or Stouts.
And finally, one component that is often overlooked is mouthfeel. This category includes the body in beer, from a crisp and light pilsner to creamy and full bodied Oatmeal Stout. Carbonation, astringency, alcoholic warmth and smoothness all come into play to create the mouthfeel of a beer.
Breaking down these components into different categories allows you to evaluate and assess these beers critically.
Share with Someone:
If you aren’t too hung up on sharing glasses, work with a friend
or partner, sharing different tasters. This allows you to try a greater variety of beers while not having to commit to some of those more experimental beers. And if you do come across something that is surprising great you can go back for a full glass. I tried a sip of my partner’s ‘Neapolitan Milk Stout’ from Saugatuck Brewing, and was shocked by it. Originally I was not willing to commit to a whole 4 oz. (hey, with over 100 different breweries and over 400 different beers, one has to be discerning with their picks), but this was interesting and surprisingly well executed.
Stay Hydrated:
Though it can’t be mentioned enough, make sure you are drinking water throughout the day. In the heat of the sun, VCBW can get exhausting. Those water or food breaks are essential to your survival at any beer festival. Aside from the necessary water breaks between your drinking sessions, change it up and try the occasional session, cider or lower ABV sour. This gives your palate a rest after an intense IPA, big beer or bracingly acidic sour.
Get Educated:
If you are looking for any more information on tasting beers or general festival guidance there are plenty of resources for you out there. CAMRA Vancouver will be at VCBW June 3rd, 4th and 5th, so come by the booth. Someone there will be able to point you in the direction of those must try beers, sign up memberships or even offering sunscreen. Our next education class is Off Flavours on Thursday June 16th. There you will get a much broader education on the most common off flavours, where they come from and how they change the experience of the beer. I hope this helps you in tasting beers and how to go about the up coming festivals. I’ll see you out there!
Cheers,
Kerry Dyson
Vice President, CAMRA BC – Vancouver Branch
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