This is the short hand version!
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Pour
In a perfect world, you’ll have the appropriate glass and method of pouring that matches the beer style. As a minimum you need beer-clean glassware - no dishwasher residue please.
Aroma generally refers to the malty characteristics. Bouquet refers to the hoppy, fruity (estery), floral and grassy scents. Odours mostly relate to the not so nice elements that may arise, such as sulphury, stale or mouldy scents.Agitate your glass, take short sniffs with your mouth closed, then sniff with your mouth open, close your eyes and conjure up your sensory memories.
Your beer should be at its optimum serving temperature – this is CRITICAL and we do not use capitals lightly. Failure to do so may seriously cost you many beer epiphanies – you just won’t ‘get it’.
Hold the glass at an angle and slowly run the beer down the middle of the inside. When it’s half full, straighten the glass and continue to pour, judging your speed so that at least a 2-3cm of head forms.
Some beers have intentionally unfiltered sediments, include them by stopping the pour when there is about a quarter left in the bottle, gently swirl and then add to your glass.
See
Hold your glass aloft and assess your beer’s colour and consistency.
Is it cloudy or clear? Is its consistency thin or thick? Is the head thin or tall and foamy? Does the head last or does it quickly disappear? Does it leave a lovely lacy foam residue on the glass?
Smell
The world’s beer aficionados refer to the Beer Flavour Table for a dazzling array of very useful and widely accepted terms to describe the smell, flavour and mouthfeel of beer. Let them be your guide but never your master. Sorting scents into aromas, bouquets and odours is a great place to start.
Sip and Swallow
Take a sip and notice the sensations as the beer enters and moves through your mouth.
Do you detect sweet, salty, sour, bitter or umami (savoury) flavours?
How does the beer feel in your mouth? Is the mouthfeel smooth, silky, dry, chewy, syrupy, sticky, thin or fizzy? As you swallow, what is the finish?
Does the taste linger, does it change and continue as it passes down your throat, or does it disappear all together? Would you describe the finish as long, short, crisp or non-existent?
Judge and Enjoy
Someone, somewhere invested time, energy and passion into creating your beer.
Their effort deserves your consideration and attention when judging a beer. You must approach it with an open mind and take into account your own predilections, variables and biases. Open your mind and heart and always remember:
"A beer may be judged with only one sip.... but it is best to be thoroughly sure”
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