Feb 12 2008
Brewery Tours
Foaming at the mouth for a nice cold beer? Who isn’t? If you’re a true fan of the great one of a kind taste of beer then my friends you have found the right place. Welcome to the
Brewery
Drink up and Taste Beer’s Excellence
Ever wonder just how all those great beers are made and where they all come from? You’re not alone. I used to think the same thing. That’s why I started this website. To help out all those fans of beer looking to visit a brewery and see what’s going on. Now for the good news, chances are, within a short drive, you can see for yourself first-hand where many of your favorite brews come from. There are breweries big and small scattered across the
Take a Tour
Tasting the freshly brewed beers is clearly everybody’s favorite part of a brewery tour. However, what many don’t realize is that it’s also the least important part of the brewery tour. Our years of experience in beer tasting and visiting breweries across the globe has shown us that not only do you pay attention to the beer itself but also tasting room, service, and the brewing facilities. It’s in these areas that makes on brewery tour stand out from the rest. 
BeerNWine Tours prides itself in not only reviewing the beers a brewer makes but all those the other important aspects of the brewery tour.
When people think of beer, the image of frat parties and guys chugging unfortunately comes to mind. We want to show the world there is so much more to beer than that.
Our blog will feature weekly beer reviews that cover different brands and styles from across the globe. If you have a particular beer that you want us to review or maybe have your own review, let us know. We’d be thrilled to let you share it with the world.
The Correct Etiquette for Beer Tasting on a Brewery Tour
There is so much more to drinking a beer is than simply opening up a bottle, taking a long chug and then swallowing it with a second thought of savoring the taste. BeerNWine Tours sees beer tasting as an art. The secret to understanding this art is through learning about the beauty of beer and its many different textures. With our help, you’ll feel completely comfortable knowing the correct way to drink a beer on your next brewery trip.
The first bit of information you need to know is beer must always be served in a glass. You’ll never appreciate the finer qualities of a beer by drinking it from a bottle or worse yet, a can! Your glass must be clean with absolutely zero detergent residues. These residues prevent the beer’s collar forming to its full potential and as you will soon see it is a key component to drinking a beer correctly.
When tasting a beer, pay attention for the following qualities:
· Look - Pay attention to how the beer looks in the glass. What color is it? For example, is your beer pale, amber, dark or maybe a little of something in between?
So many people make the mistake of not noticing the collar of their beer when in fact the retention of its collar is the first thing the beer is judged by. Only then do you look at the color and clarity. When judging clarity, look through the glass. Does the beer appear clear or cloudy? Stouts and wheat beers appear cloudy, while ales tend to be more clear and bright.
What kind of coating is left around the glass once the initial collar dissolves? The better quality beers hold collar retention longer. The dissolved collar should also leave a creamy thick coating around the glass with the better the quality beers.
· Smell -Take a great big sniff and enjoy what heaven must smell like. In my mind, nothing smells better that a great beer. As you smell, think about all the different aromas coming from your glass. You want to drink it now, don’t you? Well, hang on. We are getting there. Does it make you want to drink it?
You catch the beer’s dominant aroma released from the beer at the time of the pour. This is all picked up during your initial smell. You should be able to smell traces of malt, butterscotch, and/or hops foremost but don’t be surprised if there any other unusual scents as well. This depends on the types of ingredients used by the brewmaster.
Smelling a good beer should be done more than once. Your beer’s second smelling is done after the beer has been allowed to settle a little in the glass. Much like you do with a glass of wine, swirl the beer around in the glass before you smell again. Notice this time there is a secondary aroma with either a flowery, fruity or spicy scent to it.
Towards the end you should now be able to detect the beer’s residual signatory aroma. The majority of the quality beers out there will have an underlying nutty or earthy aroma to them.
· Taste – How does the beer taste? Does the taste linger in your mouth and what about any after-taste? Never chug during a beer tasting. The idea is to enjoy the taste of it; not to get drunk. Remember, you’re looking to learn the different qualities of each beer.
Beer tasting and wine tasting share many of the same qualities but there are some obvious differences for obvious reasons. For example, you swallow the beer when tasting and not spitting it out. You do this to determine the initial flavor. Take a small sip and let it sit in your mouth for a couple of seconds. As you are doing this, breathe through your nose, and allow your sense of smell an opportunity to appreciate the aromas. This combination of smell and taste lets you discover all of the wonderful flavors the beer has to offer.
Time for your second sip. This one has more to do with feel of the beer in your mouth. Is there a metallic or powdery feel? Does the beer contain a lot of carbonation?
The last sip of your beer tasting experience involves the aftertaste. It is only after you experience the beer’s aftertaste can you pass judgment on it. Different types of beers have varying aftertastes depending on the type it is and how it was brewed. For example, ales come with little to no aftertaste, while a dark stout gives you a long and heavy bitter aftertaste. As you are beer tasting, pay close attention to the aftertaste being bitter, sweet, or malty more than anything else. This shows the true quality of the brew.
· Overall - How was your overall experience with this beer? Would you drink it again? Was the beer good enough to recommend it to someone? Try to take everything you just learned into effect every time you taste a new beer. You’ll thank yourself.
Before beer tasting, you might want to research the different types of mixes. Know which ones use wheat, hops or corn, for example. The brewing process is a fascinating one. Hopefully after a few different trips and tastes, you can be an expert on which type of brewery or brewing makes the best tasting beer.
Not only is beer tasting one of my favorite hobbies but I find it to be a learning experience. From the lighter beers to the dark stouts, every individual beer has its own personality and flavor. Every new beer I try, I always learn something new.
