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daveooph131

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Any recommendations on how to improve my beer taste buds? I have a beggining sense but want to improve.
 
Seriously, join a group that reviews beer, such as www.beeradvocate.com or www.ratebeer.com. Find beers that you enjoy, then read the reviews. They will tell you what others are detecting as far as flavors, bitterness, "heat" from alcohol content, mouth feel, finish, and so on. Try one of the same and see if you can detect what others state. This will help to educate your senses to pick up on the various aspects which you can then apply to your home brew.

and yes, practice this daily!
 
definitely try out all the 'common' beers you hear about: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, some of the Sam Adams and New Belgium stuff, Rogue, ummm...

well you get the idea. find a store that either lets you do mix n match 6 packs, or one that just does single bottles, and go crazy.

ooh, definitely scope out a real belgian dubbel and trippel as well as the Lindemans fruit Lambics for something quite different than BMC beers.

also, if you've never had Stella Artois, Pilsner Urquell...go for it.
 
definitely try out all the 'common' beers you hear about: Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, some of the Sam Adams and New Belgium stuff, Rogue, ummm...

well you get the idea. find a store that either lets you do mix n match 6 packs, or one that just does single bottles, and go crazy.

ooh, definitely scope out a real belgian dubbel and trippel as well as the Lindemans fruit Lambics for something quite different than BMC beers.

also, if you've never had Stella Artois, Pilsner Urquell...go for it.

I would add to the above two posts...

...make sure you get the beers from a fresh source. If there's dust on the bottles, you may not be tasting what you ought. ;)

(I had some SN Torpedo that a co-worker was just trying to get rid of. It had sat too long somewhere and the aroma was M.I.A.)
 
Drink, drink, drink,

Besides the other great advice, find a store that allows for doing mixed sixers of micro brew, it's a good way to try different styles and it's often a couple bucks or more cheaper than buying an entire sixer of one micro...for example I can get a six pack of bell's two hearted for about 12 bucks...but at the same beer store they have a cooler for 9.99 mix and match....and you never know what they will stick in there...so if I'm not in the mood for something in particular or feel like expanding my horizons and not risking an entire six of something I might not like.

So far I've only had a couple bottles of something that I could say I wouldn't have again.

But I've also discovered a bunch of new breweries that I might not have if their beer was in the 12-15 dollar a six.

And I've also gotten turned on by a few beers in styles I never thought I'd try...Like Vienna Lagers....I've never been a fan of the fizzy yellow type of lagers, but damn those brown, malty Vienna ones are fantastic.

If you have a Trader Joe's in your town they usually allow for mixed sixer filling as well. And those are 5.99, and the majority of the "TJ's" labeled beers are brewed by Gordon Biersch.


Usually if it is a beer I have never tried or even a new style then i will sit down with the beer and google and do some reading on the beer or the style.

Usually beer advocate will have the beer reviewed, and also a lot of the micro breweries have info on their website, sometimes the actual recipe or at least ingredient info.

Another good resource is the BJCP style guide, it gives a lot of info on the beer, the history of it, the numbers range for OG, FG, IBU's, etc. As well as a list of commercial representations of the beers. BJCP 2008 Style Guidelines - Index

Then if I am planning to brew something, I usually google to see if there are any clone recipes for the beer online.

Sometimes I will do a themed sixer, like all IPAs or Ambers or stouts, and get six different beers of the same style. It is a good way to see how different breweries tackle the same style...then if I mamnage to find info on the online, or even clone recipes I can see what ingredients are similar between recipes, and what is it that gives a certain version something special...i did that with vienna lagers, and learned a lot about the style,

Hope this helps. :mug:
 
be sure to hit all your local brew pubs too! I'm finding out that there are a few more around here than I first realized.
 
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