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Welcome to Part Two of our beer flavor profile blog posts! For Part One, click here.
You don’t have to be a craft beer connoisseur to appreciate the complicated flavor profiles in your favorite craft beers. In fact, the more knowledge you have about the seven flavor profiles, the easier it’ll be to distinguish between the variety of styles out on the market. You’re also more likely to find a beer that fits your taste. We’ll outline the second three of Greg Engert‘s beer flavor categories, using a handy infographic from CityLab as our guide. Have any questions? Feel free to comment below!
Smoke – Literally smells and tastes a bit smokey, with notes like bacon or wood or peat. Ranges from deep amber to dark brown. Characterized by a subtle “smokey” undertone, most smoked beers are brewed by roasting malts over a wooden fire or aged for a period of time in oak barrels. Smokey beers give off a faint charred bonfire aroma, which works to compliment the sweeter malted-accents in the brew. Typically, the smoke profile works to enhance and intensify the overall taste, without overpowering the other present flavors.
Notable Styles: Smoked Beer, Smoked Porter, Rauchbier
Fruit & Spice – Pretty self-explanatory, though fruit and spice notes can range from sweet to dry (but never bitter), while colors range from golden to dark brown. Much like the smokey accent, fruits and spices emphasize the already present flavor profile in your beer – complimenting the malts. Some fruits enhance the existing citrus profile (apples, pears, oranges) or add a tart flavor to a dark, roasted malt brew (blackberries, cherries, plums). Spices heighten/balance the aroma and taste of a beer by infusing subtle and unique flavor-accents, such as nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, clove, pepper, coriander, etc.
Notable Styles: Witbier, Hefeweizen, Saison, Tripel, Dubbel, Quadruple
Tart & Funk – These beers are often sour and can taste earthy. Not for the meek, they range in color all the way from straw to dark brown. Distinguished by the sour and earthy taste, these beers represent a distinct profile, often separate from the common hoppy or malty brew. The tangy sour taste or earthy tartness will likely throw your taste buds for a loop, but perhaps not for the seasoned wine drinker. Sour beers generally contain an acidic level similar to that of wine – ranging from a low alcoholic content to a high alcoholic content. If you have a unique taste palette, you might enjoy breaking into the world of sour beers.
Notable Styles: Wild Ale, Flanders Red Ale, Traditional Fruit Lambic, Berliner Weissbier
Sources:
http://www.aperfectpint.net/blog.php/2010/03/malty-vs-hoppy-flavors-in-beer/
http://www.splendidtable.org/story/the-7-flavor-categories-of-beer-what-they-are-how-to-pair-them
http://www.citylab.com/navigator/2015/01/the-non-beer-snobs-guide-to-ordering-at-a-craft-beer-bar/384715/