tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21271644.post4773465689695842805..comments2023-11-02T07:13:53.064-07:00Comments on Beervana: Reviewing Beer: DescribingJeff Alworthhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02930119177544342495noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21271644.post-10706320860431905512010-06-13T13:42:46.406-07:002010-06-13T13:42:46.406-07:00@Soggy
Without tasting the beer it's hard for...@Soggy<br /><br />Without tasting the beer it's hard for me to say what you're tasting, but if you are tasting a soapy flavor, here's John Palmer's textbook answer:<br /><br />"Soapy - Soapy flavors can caused by not washing your glass very well, but they can also be produced by the fermentation conditions. If you leave the beer in the primary fermentor for a relatively long dr wortnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21271644.post-7964021303465733092010-06-11T21:30:16.030-07:002010-06-11T21:30:16.030-07:00DA, thanks. I think the example or your Mom's...DA, thanks. I think the example or your Mom's block of wood is great, too. I want to read reviews with lots of character. What I don't want is, "eh, it's some kind of wood, sort of squarish."<br /><br />Bill, I agree, though your point of common experiences is tough. In Portland, using, say Hopworks IPA as a reference is a good one. But it has no meaning to someone evenJeff Alworthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02930119177544342495noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21271644.post-55926607104053575832010-06-11T16:02:20.758-07:002010-06-11T16:02:20.758-07:00There are several beers - Stone Ruination, Great D...There are several beers - Stone Ruination, Great Divide Hoss and Belgica - that taste to me of the pink, powdered soap I recall from school bathrooms.<br /><br />Dr. Wort, is this the same "dish soap" taste you sometimes detect? What causes it? Some specific type of hops?<br /><br />I find it revolting.Soggy Coasterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21271644.post-14703681803113733792010-06-11T14:07:56.513-07:002010-06-11T14:07:56.513-07:00Guys,
I agree. It's hard to review/describe a...Guys,<br /><br />I agree. It's hard to review/describe a run-of-the-mill beer. Try describing a Mactarnahan without using the word 'simple.' ;-}<br /><br />The less in the beer; The harder it is to describe.<br /><br />@Bill<br /><br />Comparing one beer to another is useful, but like you said... Some are unique. That's when you have to pull out all your tasting and evaluating dr wortnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21271644.post-28746261317789019022010-06-11T13:31:36.323-07:002010-06-11T13:31:36.323-07:00Reviewing beers is the trickiest thing beer blogge...Reviewing beers is the trickiest thing beer bloggers do, I think. It's easy to sound ridiculous. I struggle most with reviewing very average beers. I can always think of something to say about an imperial stout or a imperial IPA. But what to say about an undistinguished American-style amber ale, for example?Soggy Coasterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14646016892555782239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21271644.post-45941664530422313582010-06-11T11:54:45.512-07:002010-06-11T11:54:45.512-07:00When I went on my tirade last year about the futil...When I went on my tirade last year about the futility of wine-guy beer reviews, I realized that I'd like to see beers compared to other beers someone might have had. That can communicate the beer's flavor and relative quality to someone much more quickly than pine, lemongrass, chocolate, etc.<br /><br />Of course, it's not always possible to make those comparisons -- what does Bill Nighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09202318621724165312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21271644.post-4887628013952258192010-06-11T11:33:46.016-07:002010-06-11T11:33:46.016-07:00DA,
That's the fun part about tasting and eva...DA,<br /><br />That's the fun part about tasting and evaluating beers with others, even the novice... To see what different people GET out of a beer. Will it be Pine Forrest or Pine-sol or Pine Forrest Fire or a Pine Cone laying on top of a heap of sheep dung? It's interesting to see what others can find in a beer. Albeit a palate with good mental reference and imagination make it far dr wortnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21271644.post-52646244772425589952010-06-11T09:51:26.178-07:002010-06-11T09:51:26.178-07:00Jeff, great series. And to add, even with all the ...Jeff, great series. And to add, even with all the due diligence put into the review there can still be the disconnect with the tastes of others which can render the whole thing fruitless anyway. While you may taste lemongrass and find it outstanding, I may taste lemon dish soap and find it revolting. <br /><br />My mom with her degree in psychology likes to do this test/game with people. She DA Beershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13592377918990052792noreply@blogger.com