soil affected the vines and therefore the grapes and wine itself. He famously stated, “Truth comes out in wine.” Though many of his other findings were not scientifically sound (he was restricted by his times, of course), he made a mark on the history of beer and wine and should be lauded for his attention to these coveted drinks.
Pliny the Elder died in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE; it is said that he tried to save people from the flowing lava. A great man to the bitter end, so to speak.
Today the craft beer world is thriving in America and abroad. Craft beers are available at grocery and liquor stores and are showing up in bars and restaurants all over the globe in big numbers. Though the mammoth breweries still reap high sales of light pasteurized lagers, the business of craft beer sees a steady rise each year, and beer drinking among both sexes and many different age groups grows annually. The history of craft beer’s revolution has only just begun ...
Laying Plans: Criteria for a Great Beer
Now that you are undoubtedly impressed by beer’s grand history, it’s time to carry that weight by creating your own criteria for evaluating this ancient, beloved beverage. No pressure, we’re not requesting an essay of 400 words or less. No need to attempt to write out a fivepage outline for beer tasting, or a Haiku about hops (but if you do the latter, please send it to us!). We just want you to know a good thing when you drink it. This is up to you and your palate, of course. After all, you are going to have preferences of style and flavor that will differ from those of other beer lovers, but you may find as you go that many agree on what makes for an exceptional beer. Those who have been tasting for years can have wonderful insight into the quality of each brewer’s creation.
We’re offering up our favorite terms that we use to describe great beer. To us, these are balance , quintessential , unique , iconic , and rare . You may come up with a whole different set of guidelines—and more power to you—but we find that most beers we give an A+ to will deserve to be in at least one, if not several, of these categories.
Balance
Balance is admired in food and wine and, yes, beer. This balance is a balance of flavor components. The sweetness of the malt must be balanced by some drying or bitter hops, the alcohol must not be too overbearing, the carbonation should be at a perfect point for the beer. Needless to say, it takes many batches of brew to achieve this kind of success. And it may take brewers years to achieve the kind of balance they want in one particular recipe. Of course, sometimes you crave super-sweet, super-bitter, super-sour, and other extremes; you aren’t always necessarily looking for balance in these instances. We’re referring to the moments reserved for beers that blend all of the flavors and ingredients together into a seamless experience. It’s like when an outfit comes together—when you’re wearing the dress, it’s not wearing you; when the tie is not too loud but classic. These beers offer a subtlety, in which different flavors are present but one doesn’t overtake the other. These are the beers you want when you want the best.
For us, a balanced beer often means it finishes dry, without being bitter, leaving your palate clean and ready for more drink or food. This is somewhat subjective, however, because dry in the wine world has become a description of the best as well. People seem to admire a drink that keeps the sweetness in check, one that has a nice backbone of tannins without being too astringent or bitter. Of course one’s sensitivity to bitterness varies widely; sometimes we’ll offer someone a beer we would describe as dry, and they find it too bitter. This means their sensitivity to hops is high, either because they are new to the flavor or because they just prefer a sweeter or crisper beer. But even among sweet beers, one can strike more of a balance in comparison
Pliny the Elder died in the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in 79 CE; it is said that he tried to save people from the flowing lava. A great man to the bitter end, so to speak.
Today the craft beer world is thriving in America and abroad. Craft beers are available at grocery and liquor stores and are showing up in bars and restaurants all over the globe in big numbers. Though the mammoth breweries still reap high sales of light pasteurized lagers, the business of craft beer sees a steady rise each year, and beer drinking among both sexes and many different age groups grows annually. The history of craft beer’s revolution has only just begun ...
Laying Plans: Criteria for a Great Beer
Now that you are undoubtedly impressed by beer’s grand history, it’s time to carry that weight by creating your own criteria for evaluating this ancient, beloved beverage. No pressure, we’re not requesting an essay of 400 words or less. No need to attempt to write out a fivepage outline for beer tasting, or a Haiku about hops (but if you do the latter, please send it to us!). We just want you to know a good thing when you drink it. This is up to you and your palate, of course. After all, you are going to have preferences of style and flavor that will differ from those of other beer lovers, but you may find as you go that many agree on what makes for an exceptional beer. Those who have been tasting for years can have wonderful insight into the quality of each brewer’s creation.
We’re offering up our favorite terms that we use to describe great beer. To us, these are balance , quintessential , unique , iconic , and rare . You may come up with a whole different set of guidelines—and more power to you—but we find that most beers we give an A+ to will deserve to be in at least one, if not several, of these categories.
Balance
Balance is admired in food and wine and, yes, beer. This balance is a balance of flavor components. The sweetness of the malt must be balanced by some drying or bitter hops, the alcohol must not be too overbearing, the carbonation should be at a perfect point for the beer. Needless to say, it takes many batches of brew to achieve this kind of success. And it may take brewers years to achieve the kind of balance they want in one particular recipe. Of course, sometimes you crave super-sweet, super-bitter, super-sour, and other extremes; you aren’t always necessarily looking for balance in these instances. We’re referring to the moments reserved for beers that blend all of the flavors and ingredients together into a seamless experience. It’s like when an outfit comes together—when you’re wearing the dress, it’s not wearing you; when the tie is not too loud but classic. These beers offer a subtlety, in which different flavors are present but one doesn’t overtake the other. These are the beers you want when you want the best.
For us, a balanced beer often means it finishes dry, without being bitter, leaving your palate clean and ready for more drink or food. This is somewhat subjective, however, because dry in the wine world has become a description of the best as well. People seem to admire a drink that keeps the sweetness in check, one that has a nice backbone of tannins without being too astringent or bitter. Of course one’s sensitivity to bitterness varies widely; sometimes we’ll offer someone a beer we would describe as dry, and they find it too bitter. This means their sensitivity to hops is high, either because they are new to the flavor or because they just prefer a sweeter or crisper beer. But even among sweet beers, one can strike more of a balance in comparison
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