Green applelike aroma; byproduct of fermentation.
Alcoholic
The general effect of ethanol and higher alcohols. Tastes warming.
Astringent
Drying, puckering (like chewing on a grape skin) feeling often associated with sourness. Tannin. Most often derived from boiling of grains, long mashes, oversparging or sparging with hard water.
Bitter
Basic taste associated with hops; braun-hefe or malt husks. Sensation experienced on back of tongue.
Chill Haze
Haze caused by precipitation of protein-tannin compound at cold temperatures. Does not affect flavor. Reduction of proteins or tannins in brewing or fermenting will reduce haze.
Chlorophenolic
Caused by chemical combination of chlorine and organics. Detectable in parts per billion. Aroma is unique but similar to plasticlike phenolic. Avoid using chlorinated water.
Cooked Vegetable/Cabbagelike
Aroma and flavor often due to long lag times and wort spoilage bacteria that later are killed by alcohol produced in fermentation.
Diacetyl/Buttery
Described as buttery, butterscotch. Sometimes caused by abbreviated fermentation or bacteria.
DMS (dimethyl sulfide)
A sweet, cornlike aroma/flavor. Can be attributed to malt, short or non-vigorous boiling of wort, slow wort chilling or, in extreme cases, bacterial infection.
Fruity/Estery
Similar to banana, raspberry, pear, apple or strawberry flavor; may include other fruity/estery flavors. Often accentuated with higher temperature fermentations and certain yeast strains.
Grainy
Raw grain flavor. Cereallike. Some amounts are appropriate in some beer styles.
Hoppy
Characteristic odor of the essential oil of hops. Does not include hop bitterness.
Husky
See Astringent.
Light-Struck
Having the characteristic smell of a skunk, caused by exposure to light. Some hops can have a very similar character.
Metallic
Caused by exposure to metal. Also described as tinny, coins, bloodlike. Check your brewpot and caps.
Oxidized/Stale
Develops in the presence of oxygen as beer ages or is exposed to high temperatures; winy, wet cardboardlike, papery, rotten vegetablelike/pineapplelike, sherrylike, baby diaperslike. Often coupled with an increase in sourness, harshness and bitterness. The more
aeration in bottling/siphoning or air in headspace, the more quickly a beer will oxidize. Warm temperatures dramatically accelerate oxidation.
Phenolic
Can be any one or combination of a medicinal, plastic, electrical fire, listerinelike, band-aidlike, smoky, clovelike aroma or flavor. Most often caused by wild strains of yeast or bacteria. Can be extracted from grains (see Astringent). Sanitizing residues left in
equipment can contribute.
Salty
Flavor associated with table salt. Sensation experienced on sides of tongue. Can be caused by presence of too much sodium chloride, calcium chloride or magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts); brewing salts.
Solventlike
Flavor and aromatic character of certain alcohols, often due to high fermentation temperatures. Like acetone, lacquer thinner.
Sour/Acidic
Pungent aroma, sharpness of taste. Basic taste like vinegar or lemon; tart. Typically associated with lactic or acetic acid. Can be the result of bacterial infection through contamination or the use of citric acid. Sensation experienced on sides of tongue.
Sweet
Basic taste associated with sugar. Sensation experienced on front tip of tongue.
Sulfurlike(H2S; hydrogen sulfide)
Rotten eggs, burning matches. Is a byproduct with certain strains of yeast. Fermentation temperature can be a factor of intensity. Diminishes with age. Most evident with bottle-conditioned beer.
Yeasty
Yeastlike flavor. Often due to strains of yeast in suspension or beer sitting on sediment too long.
