Beer Glossary
From the Great American Beer Festival

• Ales- Ales are beers that are fermented warm; this gives the beer fruity flavors and aromas. All our house beers are ales.
• Lagers- Lagers are beers that are fermented and stored cold from a few weeks to numerous months, this gives the beer a clean, smooth flavor. Lager is the German word for store. A number of our seasonal beers are lagers, such as our Oktoberfest and Lager de Mayo.
• Aroma- Our sense of smell is the most sensitive of all our five senses. Swirl a half-full glass of beer to release the carbon dioxide bubbles and then sniff. Depending on the style, you'll smell a combination of ingredients: hops (floral to pungent); malt (breadlike to coffeelike); and in some cases, yeast (fruity to spicy).
• Clarity- How clear is your beer? Although we are most accustomed to crystal clear beers, some styles such as many wheat beers, are unfiltered by design and will appear cloudy.
• Color- A beer's color is largely determined by the amount and type of malt used. By mixing a variety of malts, brewers can create beers from a pale straw color to an opaque black.
• Head- The crowning glory of any beer. Is it sudsy or creamy, heavy or thin? While different styles will have a different head appearance, a head of foam should form and stay atop your brew. At least some of the head should remain until you've finished the beer. The lack of a long-lasting head may indicate the beer is improperly carbonated or stale, or it may mean your glass hasn't been properly cleaned.
• Mouthfeel- Mouthfeel is literally the way beer feels inside your mouth and throat. You may notice carbonation levels, a warming sensation, dryness and of course, body (see below). Remember, beer evaluators must swallow the beer to enjoy the full sensory experience in the mouth and throat.
• Body- Body describes the over-all feel or texture of the beer as you drink it. Beers are usually described as thin-, light-, medium- or full-bodied.
• Hoppy- A dual purpose descriptor used to describe hop flavor (Wow, is this beer bitter!) and the floral or spicy aroma of hops (Smell the cascade hops in this pale ale!). Hop lovers are affectionately referred to as hop heads.
• Malty- Malty describes both malt flavor and aroma. Since malts vary from light to dark, the taste and aroma vary from sweet to smoky. Paler malts taste toffeelike and sugary and add a sweet aroma that can be breadlike or reminiscent of hot cereal.
• Yeasty- Yeasty refers to beers that taste or smell like yeast. You'll notice fruity or spicy flavors and smells similar to bananas or cloves. With some beer styles, such as wheat beers, this is desirable. In other beer styles, it may be considered an off-flavor.
• Roasty- Roasty describes the taste and smell of the darker end of the malt spectrum. Beers made with darker malts can be described as tasting like chocolate or coffee. Darker malts produce a caramel or nutty aroma.
• BBL- (Beer Barrel) is equal to 31 gallons or two 15.5 gallon kegs of beer. 20 BBL = 620 gallons = 40 kegs = 4960 pints = 6613 Twelve ounce bottles.
• Bitterness- A mellow or sharp bite which offsets the beers sweetness. A beer without bitterness would be sweet and undrinkable.
• Body- The sensation of viscosity (or fullness) of the beer. Water (thin) as compared to whole milk (thick).
• Color- The types of grain used to dictatew the color of the beer. Some grains are highly roasted and give a coffee like flavor and color while some grains are lightly roasted and give the beer amber or brown colors.
• Hops- The flower of the hop vine. Hops contribute bitterness and floral aroma to beer.
• IBUs- International Bitterness Units. The standard by which bitterness is measured. Large domestic beers are hopped to around 10 IBUs, barely above the flavor threshold. A heavily hopped beer, such as our pale ale measures around 40 IBUs.
• Malted Barley- Seeds of the barley plant that have been germinated to the point of sprouting roots. At this point, the maltster dries the grain and is ready for brewing. Barley gives the beer sweetness (also referred to as malty).
• Original Gravity- A measure of the density of the unfermented beer. The original gravity is one of the main factors in determining the alcohol content. Generally, the higher the original gravity, the higher the alcohol.
• Other all purpose words to use when surrounded by beer geeks include bold, assertive, aggressive, complex, clean, interesting, rich, robust, pedestrian, predictable, a classic.