Not just new to brewing; new to beer

[edb23]

I just tasted Fat Tire New Belgium Amber Ale and it has a completely different malt taste than any beer I've had so far. I don't know how to describe it except that it tastes the way that crushed barley smells. What is this taste? Is it a characteristic of this style or this particular beer?

A lot of amber ales have that kind of taste, i believe its from a decent proportion of munich 2 (darker munich malt) in the grain bill. Also, a large portion of crystal malts will do that for you.

 

[BonnieJ]

You're not alone. I really don't know that much about beer, since I just started drinking a few years ago. I do love beer in general, though, and my husband knows a fair amount. We are just finishing the first hefeweizen I made (I've drunk plenty of it before, but just here and there) and now I finally feel like, Oh yeah, that's hefeweizen I'm tasting!

I think brewing will help me figure out what I like and what tastes like what. I was a lot more interested in the different types of beers at the grocery store after realizing if I like one in particular, I can try to make it.

Good luck