Beer: A matter of taste

By Liz Barry

Published: March 12, 2008

By Liz Barry
/
(434) 385-5524

Scan the beer aisle at the grocery store, and you’re bound to meet the usual suspects: Bud, Coors, Miller. Some of these old standbys even have nicknames like “Beast” (Milwaukee’s Best) and “Natty Light” (Natural Light).

But there are some (relatively) new kids on the block. At some stores, you may cross paths with Full Nelson, a strong pale ale from the Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton, or Amber Ale, a malty brew from the Starr Hill Brewery in Crozet.

These beers come from craft breweries, which are gaining momentum nationwide. For the past two years, craft beer sales have increased 12 percent, according to the Brewers Association. And the trend doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon.

The Brewers Association, based in Boulder, Colo., defines a craft brewery as a small, independent operation that uses traditional methods and ingredients. In Virginia alone, there are a number of craft breweries. Blue Mountain, one of the newest, opened in October.

Starr Hill has been brewing craft beer since 1999. “I really believe that a rising tide lifts all boats,” says owner and brewmaster Mark Thompson. “The more breweries there are, the more the better. We’re not competing against one another; we’re trying to educate the consumers.”

What’s in a beer?
Craft beer can be significantly more expensive than its non-craft counterparts, which begs the question: What distinguishes a $1 PBR from an obscure $6 microbrew?

The answer is a matter of taste.

“The big difference is when you drink a lager or light lager from large brewers, there’s corn and rice in there instead of 100-percent barley,” says Paul Gatza, director of the Brewers Association. “It thins out body and doesn’t add to the flavor.”

Traditional beer is made from four ingredients: malted barley, water, hops and yeast.

Hops and barley are the main determinants of flavor, says Taylor Smack, brewmaster and co-owner at Blue Mountain.

Hops, which can look like small green pinecones, provide bitterness, while malted barley provides sweetness and color. The ratio of hops to barley will determine the overall flavor of the beer.

Smack calls malted barley the “backbone of beer” because it provides the sugars that are fermented by the yeast, creating alcohol.

But don’t count out yeast. If beer were an orchestra, yeast would be the conductor bringing all the parts together.

“A lot of people gloss over it, but yeast is really what makes the beer,” Smack says.

Yeast is a mold that eats the sugar and turns it into alcohol and carbon dioxide (bubbles!). Without yeast, there would be no beer.

“I always joke that brewers don’t actually make beer; they make really good food for yeast,” Smack says.

Yeast can also make or break the flavor. If wild yeast from the air infects a batch of beer, it can ruin the taste.

“It’s not going to hurt you,” Smack says. “It just makes the beer taste like crap.”

Brewed in style
Beer is beer? Not really. There are between 80 and 90 different styles of beer recognized by the Brewers Association.

The two families of beers — ales and lagers — are determined by the species of yeast. Within those families, there are many styles and variations.

Beer styles range from the ubiquitous Pilsner, which emerged from the Czech Republic in 1841 and later became the most common style of beer brewed worldwide, to the more obscure Bourbon Stout, which is aged in once-used bourbon barrels.

Smack says the first known beer recipe dates back to 2500 BC.

“Beer is possibly the oldest fermented form of drink that we have,” he says, though it’s still a matter of debate.

Unlike some of its highbrow friends, beer seems to transcend race, class and culture.

“Beer touches a lot more people in a lot purer way,” Thompson says. “Every culture congregates around beers.”

Beer me
The search for the perfect beer is a personal journey, Smack says.

“I truly believe there’s a beer out there for everybody,” he says.

One step in finding the perfect brew is learning about the characteristics of different beer styles.

Evaluating beer is akin to wine tasting.

The first step is to look at the color and clarity. Some are crystal clear; others are hazy.

The aroma will tell you whether the beer is more hop- or malt-intensive, Smack says. A beer strong in hops may smell floral, citrusy, herbal or spicy. A malt beer may smell sweet like warm cereal, rich and chocolaty, or like fresh-baked bread. Yeast aromas may evoke banana, cloves, plums or dried fruit.

The taste test will indicate body (light or heavy, thick or thin) and flavor. A beer higher in malt is going to be sweet, while a beer with more hops will be on the bitter side. Some beers are balanced between malt and hops.

The last step is to look for the lace, or foam that sticks to the sides of a glass. More complex beers tend to leave lacing, which indicates the presence of proteins, Smack says.

Smack says the lace test can have snobby connotations, but it’s the first three measures — sight, smell and taste — that are really important.

Beer knowledge can enhance the tasting experience, but at the end of the day it boils down to what feels good.

“It’s beer,” Smack says. “It’s the everyman drink. Good beer is good beer.”