Studious beer evaluation is a legitimate undertaking for those who are trained in this field. And like most fields of study it comes with its own jargon. But even if you’re not serious about beer evaluation, you can still sound like you are and impress others by peppering your conversations on the topic with a few of the following words.
Acetaldehyde: A volatile compound that derives from refined white sugars during the fermentation process. Acetaldehyde smells and tastes like green apples.
Astringent: A harsh, mouth-coating sensation that you often perceive as a bitter taste. Usually traced to misuse of grain.
Autolysis: A disintegrating self-digestion of a cell’s body by its own enzymes. Autolyzed yeast contributes nitrogen to the wort, creating a rubbery stench.
Body: The sensation of fullness or thickness of a beer on the palate.
Bouquet: Part of the description of the aromatic profile of a beer. (If aroma were a sound, bouquet would be the volume of that sound.)
Chill haze: A precipitation of proteinaceous matter and tannin molecules in beer if you cool it too quickly or for too long. (It then disappears after the beer warms.) You can reduce chill haze by using clarifying agents.
Cloying: Particularly sweet, to the point of being offensive.
Complex: Multi-flavored; involving many tastes and sensations on the palate.
Crisp: Dry and effervescent; low in residual sugar and highly carbonated.
Diacetyl: A volatile compound produced by certain yeast strains and at higher fermentation temperatures. Diacetyl may be evident in aroma and flavor and is recognized as a buttery or butterscotchy aroma and taste. Diacetyl is appropriate in many Ale styles but rarely in a Lager beer.
DMS: Dimethyl sulfide. A by-product of certain grains (usually Lager malt) and fermentation processes. Smells and tastes of cooked corn.
Enteric: Pertaining to the alimentary canal; intestinal. Wild yeast strains and bacterial contamination can create enteric aromas and flavors in beer.
Esters: Volatile flavor compounds that contribute to the fruity aroma of beer.
Ethanol: Ethyl alcohol. Ethanol is the colorless, soluble intoxicating element that the yeast produces during the fermentation process.
Finish: Synonym for aftertaste; the final taste impression of the beer.
Fusel alcohol: Higher alcohols produced by certain yeast strains and at higher fermentation temperatures.
Lactobacillus: Aerobic bacteria that you sometimes intentionally add to fermenting beer, such as in a Berliner Weisse. A beer infected with lactobacillus is slightly tart with a dry, palate-coating mouthfeel.
Malt: Grain (barley, wheat) that undergoes the malting procedure.
Mouthfeel: The physical perception of beer in the mouth and on the tongue and palate; refers mainly to body fullness and carbonic content.
Nose: A synonym for the total olfactory perception of beer; that is, fragrance, aroma, and bouquet.
Oxidized: An off-flavor and aroma resulting from exposure to oxygen. Smells and tastes like paper, wet cardboard, or sherry.
Palate: Literally, the roof of the mouth; more commonly includes the tongue and all interior surfaces of the mouth.
Phenolic: An unpleasant chemical odor or flavor caused by high concentrations of volatile phenol compounds in beer; medicinal or plastic-like.
Skunky: Skunklike odor resulting from light’s harmful effects on beer; also known as light-struck. Not a common problem with homebrew that is stored in dark bottles and kegs.
Vegetal: Cooked cabbage or cauliflower-like odor produced during the fermentation process.
