There are certain situations where judging and relaying that information as quickly as possible are a good thing. For example, in the National Homebrew Competition, you are trying to get through hundreds of beers in the matter of a single day. Another case is an event at the Beer Bloggers & Writers Conference held yearly.
The event is a speed blogging session where you are served 10 beers. You can choose to type up a single lengthy post later or at the conclusion, but for a pro-level experience, try typing up the reviews as individual posts on the fly. That's basically a beer review every 6 minutes. Here are some pointers...
Aroma - The second the pour has hit your tasting glass, give it a whiff. Remember the first aromas that hit your senses and give it a second whiff. Type in those things, i.e. High coffee and chocolate (in a stout) or Medium-high pine and grapefruit (in a traditional IPA). Move on.
Appearance - Here you can put a quick take on visuals. Color, clarity, head color and retention, and carbonation level are the typical things that a BJCP judge would look for. Next
Flavor - If you're going to linger on anything, spend a little more time here, but not too much. You just want to get the overall character of the beer and relay it succinctly. In many cases, this is going to be similar to the aroma, but in others, you might get toffee notes or tropical fruit notes which were overwhelmed in the aroma, but shine in the flavor. Don't take too much time, though.
Mouthfeel - Another quick take. How does the beer feel in your mouth? Full-bodied, high carbonation, silky, dry, etc. are the qualities you're looking for. Jot them all down quickly.
Overall Impression - Finally, this is just your general impression of the beer. Is it a very good or excellent example of the style? What could be improved? Since these are commercial beers in the Speed Blogging session, there hopefully won't be any major flaws, but sometimes age or other factors may make it not the best example it could have been.
Now that you've got that one under your belt, hit submit and get ready for the next pour.
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Wednesday, December 6, 2017
Tasting Exam Advice
The following is a write-up of the advice I give people who ask me about taking the BJCP Tasting Exam. An important thing to realize is that the majority of your score is completely in your hands.
- Judge the beer in front of you! For the first 4 sections, AAFM (Aroma, Appearance, Flavor, Mouthfeel), write everything you are percieving. Don't address style other than in OI (Overall Impression) and the scoring.
- Use definitive level/adjectives/modifiers! Low, medium-low, medium, etc. Citrus is better than Fruity, but Orange or Grapefruit is even better still. NEVER use 'nice' or 'some' in AAFM. If you want to mention it in OI, say pleasant rather than nice.
- Use the checkboxes! If you mention phenols, check the box! If you mention sherry or dark fruit on an old ale or barleywine, those are usually signs of oxidation. Mention it in your description and check the oxidized box. That factors into your completeness score.
- If the proctors say something to the group before the exam, listen to them! In my experience, proctors don't tend to be extreme (it's usually pretty unlikely for them to give a beer lower than a 14 or higher than the low 40s).
- Know your styles! This should go without saying, but unless you have your baselines for what you're judging against, you're starting out behind. This is also vital for feedback. Perhaps you were given an excellent American Barleywine, but were told that it was a Scottish Light. If you know your styles well, you should mention that in your feedback.
- Make your feedback actionable and relevant! Don't assume you know their process (all grain, partial extract, etc.), but offer constructive criticism on improvement relevant to the style. You're judging the beer based on the style you were told, but it may actually be a different style and misentered.
- Scoring is a minor part of your grade! Focus on the things that you control. Descriptive Ability, Completeness, Perception, and Feedback.
- Judge the beer in front of you! For the first 4 sections, AAFM (Aroma, Appearance, Flavor, Mouthfeel), write everything you are percieving. Don't address style other than in OI (Overall Impression) and the scoring.
- Use definitive level/adjectives/modifiers! Low, medium-low, medium, etc. Citrus is better than Fruity, but Orange or Grapefruit is even better still. NEVER use 'nice' or 'some' in AAFM. If you want to mention it in OI, say pleasant rather than nice.
- Use the checkboxes! If you mention phenols, check the box! If you mention sherry or dark fruit on an old ale or barleywine, those are usually signs of oxidation. Mention it in your description and check the oxidized box. That factors into your completeness score.
- If the proctors say something to the group before the exam, listen to them! In my experience, proctors don't tend to be extreme (it's usually pretty unlikely for them to give a beer lower than a 14 or higher than the low 40s).
- Know your styles! This should go without saying, but unless you have your baselines for what you're judging against, you're starting out behind. This is also vital for feedback. Perhaps you were given an excellent American Barleywine, but were told that it was a Scottish Light. If you know your styles well, you should mention that in your feedback.
- Make your feedback actionable and relevant! Don't assume you know their process (all grain, partial extract, etc.), but offer constructive criticism on improvement relevant to the style. You're judging the beer based on the style you were told, but it may actually be a different style and misentered.
- Scoring is a minor part of your grade! Focus on the things that you control. Descriptive Ability, Completeness, Perception, and Feedback.
Sunday, July 10, 2016
Beer Bloggers Conference 2016 - Speed Blogging
The 3rd time is really the charm! Tasting 10 beers in an hour can be a bit overwhelming. This year I hit my groove and managed to live tweet my tasting notes. Here they are in summary. There are some really solid brews on this list! If you can get your hands on them, check them out...
Terrapin Watermelon Gose = LIght, tart, effervescent, salty
on the front end, sweet watermelon on the finish. Great Beach Beer!
Cigar City Decoherence = Boozy on the nose, toasted coconut
on the front, transitions to roasted coffee flavor dry finish. Intense flavors, loved this!
Sierra Nevada Otra Vez = Earthy citrus on the front end,
salty grapefruit finish.
JDUBS Bell Cow Milk Chocolate Porter = Strong chocolate on the
nose, milk chocolate and vanilla on the front end, chocolate dries out on the
back end from the lactose. Key takeaway - verrrry chocolaty.
New Belgium Citradelic IPA = Dank citrus nose, lemon and
tangerine on the front end, dry dankness on the finish, light for an IPA.
Florida Beer Co. Florida Lager = grainy on the nose, dry
with apple notes on the finish. Straight up yellow beer. Great pool or beach beer!
Lagunitas IPA = Dank citrus nose, bitter and piney on the
front end, dry and dank citrus on the back.
Saltwater Brewing Screamin’ Reels = Dank onion on the nose,
foamy mouthfeel, sweet onion on the finish.
St. Pete Brewing 90 Shilling Scotch Ale = Sweet caramel
nose, low carbonation, light body, earthy start with a light caramel finish.
Crooked Thumb Brewing Florida Grapefruit Gose = Syrupy
citrus with toasted cracker on the nose, sweet citrus on the front end, bitter
grapefruit on the back. Take it to the beach!
Hope you get a chance to check some of these out! Cheers!
Speed Blogging
Unfortunately the wireless at JJ Taylor's was overloaded, so I couldn't post these live, but these are literally the notes I took last night for the speed blogging tasting. We were brought 10 beers in less than an hour, so here are my rapid fire takes:
Terrapin Watermelon Gose
Aroma: Moderate watermelon and low salt.
Appearance: Straw with moderate carbonation.
Flavor: Moderate high watermelon and salt. Very light coriander.
Mouthfeel: Light body with no astringency.
Cigar City Decoherence
Aroma: Massive cocoa, coffee, and coconut
Appearance: Black as night with light brown head
Flavor: Coffee, coconut, and cacao
Mouthfeel: Full with moderate carbonation
Sierra Nevada Otra Vez
Aroma: Agave with very light salt
Appearance: Straw with low white head
Flavor: Fruity with cactus and agave
Mouthfeel: Light mouthfeel
JDubs Bell Cow
Aroma: Cacao and lactose
Appearance: Black as night, moderate low head
Flavor: Coconut and chocolate with a light lactose bite
Mouthfeel: Moderate mouthfeel with a light bite at the finish
New Belgium Citradelic
Aroma: Mango, orange, and lemon. Light dankness.
Appearance: Gold with white head
Flavor: Fruit (mango, orange, lemon, and dank)
Mouthfeel: Medium-light mouthfeel
FBC Florida Lager
Aroma: Light floral and spicy
Appearance: Light copper with white head
Flavor: Light corn and caramel with bready finish
Mouthfeel: Medium-light body with moderate-high carbonation
Lagunitas IPA
Aroma: Citrus and earthy with a touch of musk
Appearance: Deep gold with a white head
Flavor: Pineapple and citrus
Mouthfeel: Medium mouthfeel with acidic finish
Screamin Reels IPA
Aroma: Wheaty with medium low onion
Appearance: Deep gold with white head
Flavor: Wheat, citrus, low onion
Mouthfeel: Medium mouthfeel with moderate carbonation
St. Pete Brewing 90
Aroma: Moderate caramel with a touch of toast
Appearance: Light copper with low white head
Flavor: Caramel and toasty malt with very light earthy hop
Mouthfeel: Moderate moutfheel with carbonated finsh
Crooked Thumb FL Grapefruit Gose
Aroma: Salty with grapefruit and coriander
Appearance: Straw with low white head
Flavor: Salt and grapefruit with very light coriander
Mouthfeel: Medium low mouthfeel with dry finish
Terrapin Watermelon Gose
Aroma: Moderate watermelon and low salt.
Appearance: Straw with moderate carbonation.
Flavor: Moderate high watermelon and salt. Very light coriander.
Mouthfeel: Light body with no astringency.
Cigar City Decoherence
Aroma: Massive cocoa, coffee, and coconut
Appearance: Black as night with light brown head
Flavor: Coffee, coconut, and cacao
Mouthfeel: Full with moderate carbonation
Sierra Nevada Otra Vez
Aroma: Agave with very light salt
Appearance: Straw with low white head
Flavor: Fruity with cactus and agave
Mouthfeel: Light mouthfeel
JDubs Bell Cow
Aroma: Cacao and lactose
Appearance: Black as night, moderate low head
Flavor: Coconut and chocolate with a light lactose bite
Mouthfeel: Moderate mouthfeel with a light bite at the finish
New Belgium Citradelic
Aroma: Mango, orange, and lemon. Light dankness.
Appearance: Gold with white head
Flavor: Fruit (mango, orange, lemon, and dank)
Mouthfeel: Medium-light mouthfeel
FBC Florida Lager
Aroma: Light floral and spicy
Appearance: Light copper with white head
Flavor: Light corn and caramel with bready finish
Mouthfeel: Medium-light body with moderate-high carbonation
Lagunitas IPA
Aroma: Citrus and earthy with a touch of musk
Appearance: Deep gold with a white head
Flavor: Pineapple and citrus
Mouthfeel: Medium mouthfeel with acidic finish
Screamin Reels IPA
Aroma: Wheaty with medium low onion
Appearance: Deep gold with white head
Flavor: Wheat, citrus, low onion
Mouthfeel: Medium mouthfeel with moderate carbonation
St. Pete Brewing 90
Aroma: Moderate caramel with a touch of toast
Appearance: Light copper with low white head
Flavor: Caramel and toasty malt with very light earthy hop
Mouthfeel: Moderate moutfheel with carbonated finsh
Crooked Thumb FL Grapefruit Gose
Aroma: Salty with grapefruit and coriander
Appearance: Straw with low white head
Flavor: Salt and grapefruit with very light coriander
Mouthfeel: Medium low mouthfeel with dry finish
Monday, February 22, 2016
Corporate Brewing - Private Event
Today was National Margarita Day! I hope you had the opportunity to enjoy a Margarita with someone who's company you enjoy!
I decided that today would be a good day for an out of the office team building activity. I reached out to Chris at Corporate Brewing and discussed what I was trying to achieve with my group. We agreed upon the types of beverages I wanted served. The set up was great! My party was seated at a long table that could accommodate up to 10 seated. We had our choice of silver or reposado Tequila and the drinks were made with fresh juices, not sugar loaded mixers. We were each able to have our own tab and staff could also order from the beer and wine menu.
We received excellent service! I highly recommend Corporate Brewing for your next corporate or private event. If you reach out in advance the Staff at Corporate will definitely meet your needs and exceed your expectations!
I decided that today would be a good day for an out of the office team building activity. I reached out to Chris at Corporate Brewing and discussed what I was trying to achieve with my group. We agreed upon the types of beverages I wanted served. The set up was great! My party was seated at a long table that could accommodate up to 10 seated. We had our choice of silver or reposado Tequila and the drinks were made with fresh juices, not sugar loaded mixers. We were each able to have our own tab and staff could also order from the beer and wine menu.
We received excellent service! I highly recommend Corporate Brewing for your next corporate or private event. If you reach out in advance the Staff at Corporate will definitely meet your needs and exceed your expectations!
Sunday, November 22, 2015
First Time Judge - Bayou Beer Fest 2015
Last year for the Bayou Beer Fest I was on my own serving Toby's Homebrew for 2-3 hours while he finished judging the homebrew competition. I told him he was lucky I was with him or his beer would have just sat. He assured me that this year he would buy me a ticket and I would get to relax and enjoy the fest this year while he judged beer and a fellow homebrewer served his keg. I had made reservations for us at the Courtyard Marriott by the library so we could drive in Friday night, sleep in Saturday morning, and make it to the beer fest with no worries, and have a place to crash post fest.
Then plans changed: my daughters high school football team made the playoffs and we had a home game. That meant Toby drove in on Friday night by himself and I had the joy that is playoff game concession sales for five hours on Friday night. Saturday morning consisted of getting Daisy up early, dropping the dogs off for boarding, and driving into Houma (which is about and 1hour and 15 to 30 minutes away.
I arrive at Southdown, connect with my mother-in-law to hand off Daisy, and discover that they are one beer judge short. Would I like to help? I have been married to Toby for 20 years. In that time, I have learned a great deal about beer. He has often encouraged me to take the test to become a certified beer judge, I have always said no because it is my belief that I can only do one of the two things beer judging is supposed to do. Here was my chance to prove if I was right or wrong, so I accepted the challenge.
First, for those of you who think that being a beer judge sounds like a fantastic way to get "casayed" (I'm sure the spelling of that is off, but it's how us cajuns say drunk) let me dispell that myth. Beer judging is a small amount of beer that you don't always want to drink being sipped and thought about while writing judging notes. It's interesting, it's engaging, but it is not a fun way to get drunk.
I said memorable things to my judging partner, like:
4. "Well, this is either really gonna be good, or it's gonna be a hot mess!"
3. I can actually give brewing tips for this one, "Your beer is infected, please focus on sanitization."
2. Sorry, trying to think of what to say, taste like cat piss is not going to be constructive feedback.
1. I get blue cheese in the finish, was that intentional, or do you think this is infected?
The last thing I wanted to do when I was done? Drink beer. My judging partner assured me that was a normal response. By the time we were done, the festival was almost over and we still had our homebrew setup to break down. I did get to listen to the band for a few minutes and talk to some friends I ran into, but not much actual beer drinking happened at the beef fest.
I now have a judging experience under my belt, and can have an informed response to the question, "Do you want to be a certified beer judge?" For me, I think the answer really is no. While I enjoy the comradery of the beer judging experience and getting to flex my palate and my knowledge of flavors, off flavors, and such; I can only fulfill one of the two things a beer judge is supposed to do. I can determine if a beer is to style and comment of the flavor, appearance, and mouthfeel of a beer. I cannot give adequate recommendations for improving a beer from the brewing perspective.
Toby is such a fountain of knowledge when it comes to here's what I'm tasting and here is why it probably happened. I respect that, but I don't want to be able to do that. I can do that for food, I can do that for many types of arts and crafts. But when it comes to beer, I really just want to be able to sip, taste, and enjoy. I have no qualms about judging again, if ever in a situation where a non-certified beer judge can be paired with a certified beer judge. But I live under no delusions that I will ever be a certified beer judge. And I'm OK with that...
Then plans changed: my daughters high school football team made the playoffs and we had a home game. That meant Toby drove in on Friday night by himself and I had the joy that is playoff game concession sales for five hours on Friday night. Saturday morning consisted of getting Daisy up early, dropping the dogs off for boarding, and driving into Houma (which is about and 1hour and 15 to 30 minutes away.
I arrive at Southdown, connect with my mother-in-law to hand off Daisy, and discover that they are one beer judge short. Would I like to help? I have been married to Toby for 20 years. In that time, I have learned a great deal about beer. He has often encouraged me to take the test to become a certified beer judge, I have always said no because it is my belief that I can only do one of the two things beer judging is supposed to do. Here was my chance to prove if I was right or wrong, so I accepted the challenge.
First, for those of you who think that being a beer judge sounds like a fantastic way to get "casayed" (I'm sure the spelling of that is off, but it's how us cajuns say drunk) let me dispell that myth. Beer judging is a small amount of beer that you don't always want to drink being sipped and thought about while writing judging notes. It's interesting, it's engaging, but it is not a fun way to get drunk.
I said memorable things to my judging partner, like:
4. "Well, this is either really gonna be good, or it's gonna be a hot mess!"
3. I can actually give brewing tips for this one, "Your beer is infected, please focus on sanitization."
2. Sorry, trying to think of what to say, taste like cat piss is not going to be constructive feedback.
1. I get blue cheese in the finish, was that intentional, or do you think this is infected?
The last thing I wanted to do when I was done? Drink beer. My judging partner assured me that was a normal response. By the time we were done, the festival was almost over and we still had our homebrew setup to break down. I did get to listen to the band for a few minutes and talk to some friends I ran into, but not much actual beer drinking happened at the beef fest.
I now have a judging experience under my belt, and can have an informed response to the question, "Do you want to be a certified beer judge?" For me, I think the answer really is no. While I enjoy the comradery of the beer judging experience and getting to flex my palate and my knowledge of flavors, off flavors, and such; I can only fulfill one of the two things a beer judge is supposed to do. I can determine if a beer is to style and comment of the flavor, appearance, and mouthfeel of a beer. I cannot give adequate recommendations for improving a beer from the brewing perspective.
Toby is such a fountain of knowledge when it comes to here's what I'm tasting and here is why it probably happened. I respect that, but I don't want to be able to do that. I can do that for food, I can do that for many types of arts and crafts. But when it comes to beer, I really just want to be able to sip, taste, and enjoy. I have no qualms about judging again, if ever in a situation where a non-certified beer judge can be paired with a certified beer judge. But I live under no delusions that I will ever be a certified beer judge. And I'm OK with that...
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Mini-review: Trophy Wife Pale Ale
Aroma is dank and resinous
Appearance is pale gold
Flavor is dank and resin
Mouthfeel is moderate low with moderate high carbonation
Overall Impression is solid APA
Mini-Review: Old Mecklenberg Capt Jack
Aroma is spice and light herbal
Appearance is gold with light white head
Flavor is herbal and spice with a very light graham cracker sweetness
Mouthfeel is light with moderate high carbonation
Overall Impression is solid pils
Mini-Review: White Street Hoptimist
Aroma is citrus with light alcohol
Appearance is pale orange with light white head
Flavor is orange/lemon with slight alcohol sweetness
Mouthfeel is moderate low with moderate high carbonation
Overall Impression is decent IPA
Mini-Review: NoDa Hop Drop and Roll
Aroma is citrus and resin
Appearance is light orange with a persistent white head
Flavor is nice resin and citrus
Mouthfeel is moderate with moderate high carbonation
Overall Impression is IPA awesomeness
Mini-review: Big Boss Hell's Belle
Aroma is spice and pepper with a light malt backbone
Appearance is deep gold with light white head
Flavor is spicy phenolics with pepper and very light banana and clove
Mouthfeel is light with moderate-high carbonation
Overall Impression is pretty tasty Belgian blonde
Mini-review: Duck-Rabbit Milk Stout
Aroma is chocolate and roast coffee
Appearance is deep brown with light tan head
Flavor is chocolate and coffee with a light residual sweetness
Mouthfeel is moderate-high with moderate carbonation
Overall Impression is solid milk stout
Mini-review: Front Street Absurdity
Aroma is all amarillo orange with a tiny hint of spice
Appearance is golden with a light white head
Flavor is orange and a light spice
Mouthfeel is moderate with moderate carbonation
Overall Impression is amarillo awesomeness
Mini-review: Fullsteam Summer Basil Farmhouse
Aroma is herbal and grassy with a very light spice
Appearance is a cloudy straw with a light white head
Flavor is lemon and herbal with a light grassiness
Mouthfeel is light and crisp with a moderate-high carbonation
Overall Impression is summer in a glass
Mini-Review: Highland King MacAlpin
Aroma is slightly dank and resinous with hint of malt
Appearance is light orange with light white head
Flavor is piney and resinous with light malt backbone
Mouthfeel is moderate with medium-high carbonation
Overall Impression is solid DIPA
Mini-review Innovation Midnight Ryeder
Aroma is citrus and spice
Appearance is deep brown with tan head
Flavor is citrus and spice with very light malt
Mouthfeel is moderate with mediu, carbonation
Overall Impression is decent black IPA
Mini-review: Innovation Brewing Beet and Basil
Aroma is herbal and slightly vegetal
Appearance is reddish orange with a light white head
Flavor is herbal and basil with light vegetal (beet) character
Mouthfeel is medium with moderate high carbonation
Overall Impression is a bit strange but would make a good dressing
Mini-review: Lonerider Sweet Josie
Aroma is roast and light chocolate
Appearance is light brown with light tan head
Flavor is deep caramel with roasty bitterness to balance
Mouthfeel is medium low with light carbonation
Overall Impression is a solid brown ale.
Mini-review: Lonerider Tres Vaqueros
Aroma is vanilla and some honey with a light caramel and graham cracker
Appearance is deep gold with a light white head and lacing.
Flavor is a light vanilla with some peppery phenols
Mouthfeel is medium with moderate high carbonation
Overall Impression is decent belgian tripel with barrel character.
Wicked Weed - Late Night Dinner With Beverages
Rolling into Asheville at 9:16PM, I was happy to know that Wicked Weed served food until midnight. We had missed lunch and dinner, so this place on our to do list sounded like a good place to solve our nutritional whoas and start our Asheville experience. I loved the bare brick walls! We were seated inside at a table. There was an awesome outdoor patio with a fire pit for those who wanted to sit, sip, and visit. We did not check out the tap room, so we will have to do that on another trip...
The food menu was brief. Although the burger looked like a good option, I really didn't need meat, so I opted for the No Evil Foods Seitan, tamari, carrot, red onion, green
apple, and naan. I'll be honest; I didn't know what half the ingredients on this were. Our server was able to confirm that it was vegetarian, and said it was one of her favorites. It was awesome! The seitan was well seasoned, the green apple was sliced thick, the red onion was shaved thin, and the carrot was shredded. I ate all of the contents and only a few bites of the warm pita it came in. This came with house made chips that were awesome because they were toasted brown and had no salt on them. As a beer lover with medical issues, I felt this place really got me. It understood that I wanted to drink beer and eat healthy.
On to the beer. What I really like is the pour size option. I always want to try multiple beers, but really don't need or want a full pour of everything I want to order. I also don't want to waste beer. Sharing isn't always an option as Toby and I have different tastes (i.e. I like fruity, he doesn't, etc.). The small pour came in a snifter glass, one of my favorite glass styles.
Lunatic Blond - a good, clean, well-balanced Belgian blond. I started here because I don't normally like blonds, but this one made me like blonds for the evening. Note: red heads have more fun!
XLVII Pineapple Guava Saison - fruity, but not overly sweet. You really taste the Guava more, the pineapple is in a support role for balance. I really liked this one!
XLVI Salted Chocolate Black Saison - think Ghirhardelli Intense Dark Sea Salt Soiree or Godiva Dark Chocolate with Sea Salt. It's like a liquid but not syrupy version of one of those bars. Divine, roasty, chocolate, dark beer goodness. Loved it!
Midnight came all too soon, so I hope to make it back there or to the Funkatorium to enjoy a Black Angel Cherry Sour. Anyhoo, if you make it out to Asheville, drop in and get your grub and brew on!
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