Top 5 tips for beer tasting

There are more than 20 breweries in Cornwall and things are changing fast on the beer scene. Whether you prefer bottled ale, traditional cask or craft beer there really is something for everyone.

With our Beer & Mussel Festival at The Cornish Arms on the horizon, we felt it only appropriate to take a trip to visit local brewery, The Rebel Brewing Company to ask for their tips on tasting beer.

After a guided tour of the brewery, we spoke to head brewer, Guillermo (or ‘Gee’ as he likes to be called) and he explained that to fully appreciate what a beer has to offer you need to do a little more than just drink it.

Here are Gee’s top 5 tips for beer tasting:

Observe…look at the beer’s colour, clarity, and head

Agitate…swirl the beer as it to allows the aromas to be amplified

Inhale…try to identify the aromatics. Is it sweet, spicy, floral or something else?

Taste…force the beer over your taste buds, is it sweet, bitter or balanced?

Aftertaste… appreciate the aftertaste, as the flavours can be quite different from the ones you tasted first. Aftertaste can be very pleasant indeed, to the point where you HAVE to taste the beer again!

Try out your new beer tasting skills at The Beer & Mussel Festival and score a selection of local beers. You could also Tweet (@TheCornishArms) or Facebook (/TheCornishArmsPub) your favourites.

The Rebel Brewing Company offers custom tailored brewery tours and tastings. For more information please visit their website for more details – rebelbrewing.co.uk.