Craft beer, like wine, cheese or coffee, has its own tasting secrets. With thousands of different styles and unique flavors, learning how to taste beer like a professional allows you to better understand its subtleties and fully appreciate every sip.

1. Choose the Right Glass

The choice of glass is crucial. Opt for a glass that narrows slightly at the top to better capture the aromas. A clean and slightly damp glass will also help to form a nice head and release the scents. That's why you rinse the glass before serving.

2. Visually analyze the beer

Before even smelling or tasting it, observe it!

• Foam: is it abundant, fine, persistent or fleeting? A rich foam often indicates a well-structured beer. Fine, regular bubbles are likely a sign of quality.
• Shade: light, amber, dark? The color reflects the degree of roasting of the malts used.
• Clarity or cloudiness: cloudy beers are frequently brewed with cereals such as oats or specific yeasts. A deposit at the bottom may be normal in certain styles (white beers, Belgian beers) or indicate a defect.

3. Smell the Aromas

Place your nose over the glass and inhale gently. Can you identify notes of cereals, fruit, flowers? If you don't perceive much, swirl the beer gently in the glass. Each style gives off distinct aromas that allow you to anticipate certain flavors in the mouth.

4. Taste with the Palate

Take a first sip and analyze:

• Initial taste: sweet, bitter, sour, sparkling?
• Middle of the palate: texture (velvety, dense, sparkling) and flavors (fruit, coffee, caramel, spices...)
• Finish: length in the mouth, persistence of bitterness, acidity or sweetness.

5. Refine your olfactory sensitivity

As with a perfume, the palate can become saturated. To reset the counters, smell your elbow, eat a biscuit or drink water. A good workout is also to develop your sensory memory by smelling everything around you: food, flowers, forests...

Take part in our tasting workshop at Taproom WhiteFrontier 🍻

Want to deepen your knowledge of craft beers? Join our tasting workshop at Taproom WhiteFrontier! Led by passionate experts, this workshop will introduce you to a unique selection of beers and professional tasting techniques.

📍 Where? Taproom WhiteFrontier, Martigny 📅 When? Check our online calendar 🎟️. You can book here.

Come and refine your palate and share a convivial moment over a beer! 🍺