Product Library > Beer Library > The Language of Beer
There are four main components to the "language" of beer!


 Color
Color in beer is created by the addition of specialty malts, which by the degree of their roast and the amount used, create various nuances of color.

Straw --- Yellow --- Gold --- Blond --- Amber --- Copper
Brown --- Red/Brown --- Black

 Taste
The two most basic taste impressions in beer are sweetness (which comes from the malts), and bitterness or dryness (which comes from the hops). Beer ranges from simple and refreshing to complex, with rich flavor ideal for matching with the best of foods.

ALCOHOL - a bitterness that leaves a warm feeling in the mouth

SMOOTH - no rough edges through the palate

BITTER - general description of the taste of hops

DLACETYL - a by-product of fermentation with an impression of butterscotch

HERBACIOUS - impressions of hop particularly noticeable in a fresh beer

SWEET - the general taste impression left by malt

VINEOUS - wine-like impression on the palate

APPLEY - an ester produced from the yeast-malt interaction

CARAMEL - a higher percentage of crystal malt will produce this taste

EXPRESSO - a higher percentage of black patent malt creates this taste

MOLASSES - another variation in taste coming from malts

CRISP - all taste characteristics are well-defined

CLEAN - a fresh impression with a good balance between the various elements

COARSE - a beer that is not in balance

DRY - no sugars from the malt, hop taste predominates

RICH - describes a substantial malt body

FLAT - generally a lack of carbonation or old beer

STRONG - describes a high alcohol content balanced by a rich flavor

BALANCE - the relationship between the sweetness of malt and bitterness of hops

BIG or THICK - impression of fullness left by the beer while in the mouth

THIN - a watery impression of the taste of a beer

SALTY - impression left by excessive amounts of sodium, calcium or sometimes magnesium

 Appearance

BEAD - describes the bubbles in a beer. A well-made beer will have a very fine bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass for the entire length of time it takes to consume it.

BELGIAN or BRUSSELS LACE - traces of head left on the glass as a beer is consumed

HEAD - foam generated at the top of a beer as it is poured

ROCKY or THICK - head on a beer that almost has the appearance of whipping cream

THIN - head without much texture or short lived

OPAQUE - absence of light

CLEAR/BRIGHT - totally transparent

CLOUDY - a condition not normal to beer, except for bottle-conditioned beer, where yeast is added at bottling to add an additional fermentation and depth of character

HAZY - occurs when a natural beer is over-chilled. Certain proteins coagulate forming the haze. It does not harm the flavor of the beer and will disappear as the beer warms.