Why tasting descriptors matter
Beer tasting isn’t about being pretentious—it’s about having the vocabulary to share what you’re experiencing. Whether you’re judging, brewing, or just swapping bottles with friends, having a shared set of descriptors helps everyone understand what’s in the glass.
Instead of “this is good” or “this is gross,” the cheat sheet gives you specific terms that describe appearance, aroma, flavor, mouthfeel, and finish. That way, feedback becomes useful and repeatable.
The basics: how to taste
From Mark’s presentation:
- Look – Color, clarity, head formation, and retention.
- Smell – Swirl gently, breathe in. Pick out malt, hop, yeast, and fermentation aromas.
- Taste – Sip, let it coat your palate. Balance sweetness, bitterness, acidity, and alcohol.
- Mouthfeel – Carbonation, body, astringency, warmth.
- Aftertaste – Length, character, and how it fades.
Common descriptors (from the cheat sheet)
Malt & Sweetness
- Bready, biscuity, caramel, toffee, honey, toast, chocolate, coffee
Hops
- Floral, citrus (grapefruit, orange, lemon), pine, resinous, earthy, spicy, tropical fruit
Yeast & Fermentation
- Fruity esters (apple, banana, pear, stone fruit)
- Phenols (clove, pepper, smoke, medicinal)
- Clean vs expressive profiles
Mouthfeel
- Light / medium / full body
- Creamy, dry, crisp, warming, prickly, smooth
Off-flavors (important for judges & brewers)
- Diacetyl (buttery, slick)
- DMS (cooked corn, vegetal)
- Oxidation (cardboard, stale, sherry-like)
- Infection (sour, vinegar, phenolic)
Using the cheat sheet
When tasting, try to identify one or two descriptors per category. That makes your feedback more actionable. For example:
- Instead of: “I don’t like this.”
- Try: “The caramel sweetness is overwhelming, and the bitterness seems too low to balance it.”
That’s feedback a brewer can use.