Beer 101 Weekend
Beer festivals this weekend include Upland’s Brews & Bros, San Francisco Beer Week, San Leandro Imperial IPA Festival and SOUR SUNDAY (pictured) in Berkeley. In this college town where UC Berkeley students take 101 courses on nearly every topic, don’t be surprised to see attendees examining their beer and taking notes.
Beerology 101
AROMA & SMELL: Smell, then linger on your first sip. Is it sweet (malt aroma), sharp (hop aroma), or a balance of different notes?
APPEARANCE: Observe clarity from brilliant to cloudy. Head retention often indicates a well-crafted beer, made with quality ingredients.
FLAVOR & TASTE: Look for natural continuation of the aroma. Swirl it in your mouth before swallowing. Note intensity of flavor, balance between sweetness and bitterness, and your general impressions.
MOUTHFEEL: Texture and weight of the beer include warming, astringent, light, watery, full, heavy and carbonation level.
FINISH: Lingering or short, sweet or bitter — do you want to take another sip?
IMPRESSION: Summarize how much you liked the beer.
