Yeast, Malt, Hops: A Beginner's Night in Beer

To kick off this year of beer, I hosted an intro to beer tasting for my supportive and beer-loving friends, as well as a couple of fellow members of the No Half Measures Collective.

Let's Get Funky with Yeast and Bacteria

We opened the tasting with beer samples showcasing the characteristics of yeast and bacteria. We clarified the difference between lagers and ales while also diving into the variety of ale yeast strains used to create some truly iconic and historical beer styles. I selected three beers to illustrate the influence of these microorganisms, the first one receiving universal admiration: Weissbier Hells. This pale, traditional German wheat beer was cloudy in the glass from the agitation of wheat proteins and residual yeast cells from bottle conditioning. The glass contained the distinct and expected aromas of banana and clove - the distinguishing aromas produced by weizen yeast. These aromas dominated the nose, but the delicate grain, bread dough, and brioche aromas offered a counterweight to what could be an overwhelming inhalation of artificial banana. With everyone's palates properly warmed up by the cosiness of the Weissbier, it was time to challenge it with the introduction of mixed fermentation styles. We first cracked open a fruited Berliner Weiss, which pleasantly eased our tastebuds into the tartness that lactic acid could introduce. There was an overwhelming aroma of passionfruit and underripe nectarine, accompanied by a Greek yoghurt sourness. This sample was like a refreshing carbonated fruit juice and left everyone's glass quickly. We were on the next bottle and probably the most divisive beer of the night: a gueuze. This spontaneously fermented beer really showcases the complexity and depth that cooperative microorganisms can have in a beer. Barrels are filled and left to ferment and ripen, driven by ambient yeast and bacteria. The marmite of the brewing world, Brettanomyces, is the headliner in this orchestration of flavours. This style is made through the blending of young and old beers aged to 3 years to create a balanced and complex product. We found that this specific bottle leaned more on aged aromas of musk, wet horse blanket, and forest floor, while I expected a more balanced profile with mouth-watering rhubarb and pineapple. Every bottle I’ve had from this producer has varied in the intensity and presentation of Brettanomyces aromas, making each one an intriguing and unique experience. This sample was not a favourite of the group and was compared to a tart and funky farmer's barnyard cider.

Malt, the backbone of beer

We continued the evening by diving into the variety of malts and adjuncts used to create different styles, flavours, textures, and colours in beer. To demonstrate the diversity and complexity of malt flavours, I chose a Kolsch which exhibited the delicate aromas of bread crumb and sweet bread dough from the lightly kilned malts. These aromas were balanced with subtle aromas of red apple from the ale yeast and a light spicy and herbaceous note from the traditional German hops. We contrasted this beer to the extreme by tasting an Imperial Stout, which was rich with roasted coffee, cacao nibs, molasses, and a mellow roasted character. This beer was a classic example of an Imperial Stout and I could have had the whole bottle to myself. When we were discussing food pairings, it was decided that this beer deserved to be savoured and appreciated on its own with its warming 9.2% ABV and decadent aromas.

 Spice Up your Beer with Hops

To pivot back to more recognisable and comforting beer flavours, we turned to hops. We first tasted a Pina Colada New England IPA. This beer was the manifestation of the definition of NEIPA: hazy, juicy, full-bodied, low bitterness, high hop aromas showcasing the punchiness of American hops with intense pineapple, coconut, peach, and mango. We followed this with a West Coast IPA. In contrast, this beer style should have a high bitterness, clear or bright appearance, with resinous, stone fruit, and citrus aromas. What we noticed was this sample didn't quite meet the mark as it wasn't as bitter as I would expect from a WCIPA, but I often find UK breweries are light on the bittering hop addition compared to American brews. I chose these two styles to demonstrate that hops contribute both bitterness and aroma, which don't necessarily present together in every beer. Many people claim they don't like hoppy beers, but what they usually mean is that they don't like bitter beers. In that case, try a NEIPA.

 Conclusions

This tasting was powered by fun and curiosity through to the end. My beer fridge was raided afterwards, and we kept the party going by cracking open an apple crumble pastry sour, which I have dreamt about tasting again every day since.

Everyone left full of beer and a better understanding of the diversity of ingredients used to make different beer styles, and the fun fact that Napoleon was very fond of a Berliner Weiss. For my next tasting, I want to focus more on the techniques and approach to tasting beer, but I’m still considering what theme to choose.