1. Pouring the Beer
If you are pouring the beer yourself from a bottle gently run it down the side of the glass. Judge your pour speed based on the head that is forming. Aim to have about a two finger head when you're done. Some beers contain visible yeast at the bottom of the bottle that is meant to be drunk with the beer. If this is the case, stop the pour with a bit of beer left in the bottle. Swirl the remaining liquid to lift the yeast sediment and pour it into your glass.
2. Appearance
Note whether the head is dense or thin. Heads are sometimes described as rocky if they are especially dense with dips and peaks forming as some of the bubbles pop. The color of the head is also worth noting and can range from pure white on Pilsners to light or medium brown on some stouts and porters.
Examine the appearance of the beer itself. Hold the glass up to the light and note the color and whether it is cloudy or clear.
3. Aroma
Note whether it smells primarily of hops or malt. Generally speaking light colored beers will smell more of hops while darker beers tend to have a pronounced malt, roasted, chocolate or coffee aroma. Many ales have a hard to pin down spiciness or fruitiness from their yeasts.
Take your time with the aroma. Try to take three good sniffs before your first sip. If you're taking notes, stop to write your impressions before the first sip distracts you.
4. First Sip
When taking your first sip, try to note the initial sensation as the beer enters your mouth. Think about whether it is sweet, bitter or something else. Beer, especially ale, can be very complex. There can be quite a difference between the first taste and the finish.
5. Mouthfeel
This is the texture of the beer or how it physically feels in your mouth. Beer ranges from silky dry stouts, to thick and chewy Scotch ales to thin and fizzy Berliner weisses. This is an important characteristic of a beer.
6. Finish
Note the lingering flavors after you swallow the drink. Often it can be bitter from the hops or a lingering malty sweetness.
Stop before your next drink and try to write down everything that you just detected. Try to confirm it all with your second drink or see if you need to rethink your conclusions.
7. Styles
There is a lot of variation from one beer to the next with regards to what is "correct," stylistically speaking. For information about style specific issues such as whether the yeast should be poured with the beer or left in the bottle, what color the head should be, whether the beer should appear clear or cloudy, and so on, consult the Beer Styles section or another great resource for beer style information are the Beer Judge Certification Program's Style Guidelines.
Tips:
1. Do not taste new beers with food or soon after eating. The lingering flavors from food can greatly affect your impression of the brew.
2. Cleanse your palate with water. Crackers or cheese are fine but you should remember that even these foods can affect the apparent flavors of the beer.
3. If you're tasting a number of different beers, let the color be your guide. It is best to taste from light to dark.
Monday, March 15, 2010
St patricks day drink
WINE: Raise a glass of something Irish, or with an Irish connection
WE COULD, AND possibly should, drown the shamrock with a home-produced drink, and that means either beer or whiskey, although I would urge you to try a glass of the excellent Eden apple brandy. However, if you are planning a celebratory feast, a glass of wine may well be more appropriate.
With lamb, there are few finer than a glass of good Bordeaux. Other Cabernet Sauvignon blends are fine, but the dry tannins of a Bordeaux provide the perfect foil to the rich meatiness of a roast of lamb. In fact, a pink roast of lamb is my preferred option anytime I decide to uncork one of my treasured old bottles of claret. Pick one of the Wild Geese châteaux if you wish; I would go for the right bank (Médoc or Pessac-Léognan) rather than a Pomerol or St Émilion.
Corned beef is not quite so easy with wine. All that salt and spice can overpower and clash with many wines. Here, a nice glass of stout would go down a treat, even better if it is served with cabbage and mash. Why not seek out one of the Irish micro-brews from the Whitewater Brewery or the Hilden Brewing Co?
If you must have wine, there are two schools of thought. You could go for something light and fresh with plenty of acidity, such as a Beaujolais or a Barbera from Italy. Alternatively, fight might with might and choose a big, powerful red from Australia or the south of France. A juicy Shiraz or a southern Rhône should be able to stand up and be counted.
Another Irish option is salmon. Baked or poached, but always drenched in butter, this is the time to trot out your finest Chardonnay, be it from Burgundy, western Australia, or California. If you prefer red wine, try a light Loire red such as Chinon or Bourgeuil, or a New Zealand Pinot Noir.
WE COULD, AND possibly should, drown the shamrock with a home-produced drink, and that means either beer or whiskey, although I would urge you to try a glass of the excellent Eden apple brandy. However, if you are planning a celebratory feast, a glass of wine may well be more appropriate.
With lamb, there are few finer than a glass of good Bordeaux. Other Cabernet Sauvignon blends are fine, but the dry tannins of a Bordeaux provide the perfect foil to the rich meatiness of a roast of lamb. In fact, a pink roast of lamb is my preferred option anytime I decide to uncork one of my treasured old bottles of claret. Pick one of the Wild Geese châteaux if you wish; I would go for the right bank (Médoc or Pessac-Léognan) rather than a Pomerol or St Émilion.
Corned beef is not quite so easy with wine. All that salt and spice can overpower and clash with many wines. Here, a nice glass of stout would go down a treat, even better if it is served with cabbage and mash. Why not seek out one of the Irish micro-brews from the Whitewater Brewery or the Hilden Brewing Co?
If you must have wine, there are two schools of thought. You could go for something light and fresh with plenty of acidity, such as a Beaujolais or a Barbera from Italy. Alternatively, fight might with might and choose a big, powerful red from Australia or the south of France. A juicy Shiraz or a southern Rhône should be able to stand up and be counted.
Another Irish option is salmon. Baked or poached, but always drenched in butter, this is the time to trot out your finest Chardonnay, be it from Burgundy, western Australia, or California. If you prefer red wine, try a light Loire red such as Chinon or Bourgeuil, or a New Zealand Pinot Noir.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Buckfast
Buckfast 'in 5,000 crime reports'
Youth drinking Buckfast
Buckfast was mentioned in more than 5,000 crime reports
Why I investigated Buckfast
Freedom of Information request
New evidence linking Buckfast Tonic Wine to crime has been uncovered by a BBC Scotland investigation.
A Freedom of Information request showed the drink was mentioned in 5,638 crime reports in Strathclyde from 2006-2009, equating to three a day on average.
One in 10 of those offences were violent and the bottle was used as a weapon 114 times in that period.
Buckfast's distributors denied that it caused crime and said the drink made up just 0.5% of Scotland's alcohol market.
However, Strathclyde Police said the figures suggested there was an association between the tonic wine and violence.
Supt Bob Hamilton said: "I think it's clear from the figures that there is an association there."
"The figures are fairly clear that Buckfast is mentioned in a number of crime reports and over the period requested, the Buckfast bottle was used 114 times as a weapon."
Buckfast tasting at Harvey Nichols
The evidence from Strathclyde Police appears to back up concerns raised by research conducted in Polmont Young Offenders Institution in 2007.
It found that - of those offenders who had been drinking immediately before their offence - more than 40% had been drinking Buckfast.
The drink is produced by Benedictine monks in a Devon monastery.
The BBC investigation looked at its ingredients and how it may affect the behaviour of consumers.
Neuroscientist Dr Steven Alexander from Nottingham University said each bottle contained 281mg of caffeine - the same amount as eight cans of coke.
The SNP knows Buckfast is a weak point in its minimum pricing initiative.
Buckie, as its west of Scotland fans call it, is "relatively expensive" already, as Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill concedes.
It wouldn't be hit by the new policy. But, say ministers, many other problem drinks would be so affected.
Read Brian Taylor's blog
He said consuming large amounts of caffeine would make people feel "very anxious and aggressive".
Concerns have been raised about the effect of the stimulant when mixed with alcohol, with the US Food and Drug Administration is considering banning pre-mixed caffeinated alcohol drinks.
Health warnings about mixing the two are also starting to appear in countries like Canada, France, the Republic of Ireland, Sweden and Australia.
The monks of Buckfast Abbey turned down a request to respond to the issues.
However Jim Wilson, from J Chandler & Co, the distributors of the tonic wine in Scotland, was asked about the possibility of reducing the caffeine levels.
He said: "Why should we? It's been there for over 80 years.
"Why should we go about changing the recipe of something just to satisfy somebody's whim?"
Mr Wilson said the Benedictine monks were not to blame for the effects of Buckfast in the outside world.
Buckfast contains the same amount of caffeine as eight cans of Coke
Buckfast contains the same amount of caffeine as eight cans of Coke
He said: "Why should they accept responsibility? They're not up here pouring any of their Buckfast down somebody's throat. People take it by choice because they like it, because it's a good product."
Speaking on BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said that what he called Scotland's "vat of shame" was a wider question than one particular drink.
He said: "There isn't any scientific evidence at the moment that says caffeine has a correlation with violence and crime - really Buckfast, drunk usually in the west of Scotland, is part of a cocktail.
"But people frequently have an espresso after a good night out, a meal with a lot of wine, and they don't suddenly go berserk.
"So Buckfast is a problem, but it's not the only drink and if we ban Buckfast we'd still have a drink problem in Scotland."
Labour justice spokesman Richard Baker stressed tackling Scotland's booze culture was not as simple as the SNP's proposals for minimum alcohol pricing.
The Buckfast Code is on BBC One Scotland at 1930 GMT on Monday 18 January
Youth drinking Buckfast
Buckfast was mentioned in more than 5,000 crime reports
Why I investigated Buckfast
Freedom of Information request
New evidence linking Buckfast Tonic Wine to crime has been uncovered by a BBC Scotland investigation.
A Freedom of Information request showed the drink was mentioned in 5,638 crime reports in Strathclyde from 2006-2009, equating to three a day on average.
One in 10 of those offences were violent and the bottle was used as a weapon 114 times in that period.
Buckfast's distributors denied that it caused crime and said the drink made up just 0.5% of Scotland's alcohol market.
However, Strathclyde Police said the figures suggested there was an association between the tonic wine and violence.
Supt Bob Hamilton said: "I think it's clear from the figures that there is an association there."
"The figures are fairly clear that Buckfast is mentioned in a number of crime reports and over the period requested, the Buckfast bottle was used 114 times as a weapon."
Buckfast tasting at Harvey Nichols
The evidence from Strathclyde Police appears to back up concerns raised by research conducted in Polmont Young Offenders Institution in 2007.
It found that - of those offenders who had been drinking immediately before their offence - more than 40% had been drinking Buckfast.
The drink is produced by Benedictine monks in a Devon monastery.
The BBC investigation looked at its ingredients and how it may affect the behaviour of consumers.
Neuroscientist Dr Steven Alexander from Nottingham University said each bottle contained 281mg of caffeine - the same amount as eight cans of coke.
The SNP knows Buckfast is a weak point in its minimum pricing initiative.
Buckie, as its west of Scotland fans call it, is "relatively expensive" already, as Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill concedes.
It wouldn't be hit by the new policy. But, say ministers, many other problem drinks would be so affected.
Read Brian Taylor's blog
He said consuming large amounts of caffeine would make people feel "very anxious and aggressive".
Concerns have been raised about the effect of the stimulant when mixed with alcohol, with the US Food and Drug Administration is considering banning pre-mixed caffeinated alcohol drinks.
Health warnings about mixing the two are also starting to appear in countries like Canada, France, the Republic of Ireland, Sweden and Australia.
The monks of Buckfast Abbey turned down a request to respond to the issues.
However Jim Wilson, from J Chandler & Co, the distributors of the tonic wine in Scotland, was asked about the possibility of reducing the caffeine levels.
He said: "Why should we? It's been there for over 80 years.
"Why should we go about changing the recipe of something just to satisfy somebody's whim?"
Mr Wilson said the Benedictine monks were not to blame for the effects of Buckfast in the outside world.
Buckfast contains the same amount of caffeine as eight cans of Coke
Buckfast contains the same amount of caffeine as eight cans of Coke
He said: "Why should they accept responsibility? They're not up here pouring any of their Buckfast down somebody's throat. People take it by choice because they like it, because it's a good product."
Speaking on BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland programme, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said that what he called Scotland's "vat of shame" was a wider question than one particular drink.
He said: "There isn't any scientific evidence at the moment that says caffeine has a correlation with violence and crime - really Buckfast, drunk usually in the west of Scotland, is part of a cocktail.
"But people frequently have an espresso after a good night out, a meal with a lot of wine, and they don't suddenly go berserk.
"So Buckfast is a problem, but it's not the only drink and if we ban Buckfast we'd still have a drink problem in Scotland."
Labour justice spokesman Richard Baker stressed tackling Scotland's booze culture was not as simple as the SNP's proposals for minimum alcohol pricing.
The Buckfast Code is on BBC One Scotland at 1930 GMT on Monday 18 January
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