You Don’t Have to Be a Supertaster to Be a Good Judge of Beer

[DanBrewer]

[SIZE=14.6666669845581px]Here are some insights into how beer is judged in the U.S. and the whole supertaster phenomenon:[/SIZE]

You Don’t Have to Be a Supertaster to Be a Good Judge of Beer

(http://www.beersyndicate.com/blog/you-dont-have-to-be-a-supertaster-to-be-a-good-judge-of-beer/)

In the U.K., beer is judged more according to personal taste.

[SIZE=14.6666669845581px]How are things done in Australia?[/SIZE]

 

[Mardoo]

One of the most interesting things I've heard lately about beer judging came from Jamil Zainisheff on a Brew Strong episode. He said he feels that beer judging is being taught as a process of identifying faults, rather than identifying great beer. His notion seems to be that beer should be tasted first as a whole. Is it a great example of the style? Is it a great beer in and of itself? Once the score is decided on in that regard then the knowledge of faults should be used to identify WHY the score is what it is. That certainly opened my eyes in terms of how I look at beer, as I've learned some of the fault analysis and have certainly fallen into the trap of looking for faults.

 

[DanBrewer]

I think you're right--- I like to describe the beer first (appearance, aroma, flavor, mouthfeel, overall impression). Look at the BJCP guidelines and test prep material and you'll see that nearly all of it has to do with searching for faults. Of course identifying and making suggestions about how to fix problems in the beer are important, but I think that most homebrewers know what problem causes what fault, and if not, then a quick google search will usually determine it.

That said, if you look into how the BJCP wants people to judge, they specifically say not to mention negative things, which I think could be problematic too:

"There are several important points to keep in mind throughout the judging process. First off, avoid negative comments. Emphasize the beer’s positive attributes, even if it is awful. Diplomacy is a valuable skill as a beer judge. Also, try not to be too specific, since you do not know how the beer was brewed. If there is a malt-related issue, be sure any advice applies to either all-grain or extract brewers."

http://www.bjcp.org/docs/How_to_Judge_Beer.pdf

 

[manticle]

Avoiding negative comments refers to not making statements like 'this glass has more in common with a bucket of horse piss than it does with any sort of ale. I can 't imagine anything worse unless I drank it once, spewed it back into the glass and drank it again. Maybe try knitting?'

You can write 'this beer has a high level of diacetyl and unfortunate sour edge' for example.

BJCP is not intended to just be a list of faults which is why flavour and overall impression are so heavily weighted but many judges do seem to look for what's wrong before they look for what's right.

 

[DanBrewer]

Lol! I like how you put it regarding negative comments. I think the underlying message should go in both directions though. Imagine an equally useless sentence of praise... "It tastes like pure yum-yum juice blessed by the gods of Mt. Olympus!" So I think the bigger message is it's best to abstain from "personal taste" subjective comments, and instead focus on describing the beer as accurately/objectively as possible (which is not an easy task for many people).

 

[manticle]

That is true. Judging is actually quite difficult and tiring (it's not just 'free beer') and some judges, whether through inexperience or other factors write very little useful information on scoresheets.

I hear experienced judges instruct others quite often saying things like 'if it's not a category winner, don't spend too much time on it'. I've even heard it suggested that if it's cloudy, it won't be a good beer.

It's an unfortunate approach but it's easier to appear knowledgeable when being negative than positive I guess.

There are some great judges out there who really make an effort to be clear, accurate and thorough though which is a good thing.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

At our local Agricultural Show the beers get judged on their merits. There are 3 classes, Pale, Dark and Stout

I am not a big fan of BJCP...( It has its p[lace ) .I think its to defining and they keep bringing new categories out every other day

But then again, I dont re-hydrate dry yeast either... B)