No matter where we go and how we get to these places, we often want to chill and try out different bars. You might be in a foreign country, you could be in a town you have never visited, or perhaps a new bar just opened, and they claim to sell high quality craft beers.
Whatever the case is, there is sure to be an awesome beer here, there or somewhere around. You could also be at a party and just really fancy trying out a great quality beer, something that really zings to enjoy the right.
Dane Wilson from Sound Brewery can tell you all about the importance of a good quality beer, but for now, let’s just look over the 5 signs of making sure the one you choose is.
#1. Look To the Alcohol Content
A key metric you want to be looking at to properly identify a quality beer is the content of alcohol in it. Typically, you will be able to find this FG or OG reading on its label (Final Gravity or Original Gravity). Both are absolutely critical for reading the ABV (Alcohol by Volume) percentage.
You could also consider the ABW or Alcohol by Weight, where you look at the total percentage pass of the beverage. This means that about 4% ABV is generally 3.2% ABW, although 100% ABW and 100% ABV are the same.
The content of alcohol in a beverage will always affect the taste of the beer, which is very important in getting an idea of its quality.
Most beers are not made for sipping, so having a balanced alcohol content is key. This is exactly why so many beers will have a lower ABV rating, allowing you to drink more of it.
#2. Check Out the Colour
One of the ways you can figure out if a beer is of good quality is by how it looks. Beer can vary in colour from light to dark, but the colour can dictate the quality. This means that the colour could show the ideal appearance of the beverage, as well as its texture, taste and so on.
Most breweries will use something known as spectrophotometry technology to measure out quality and consistency of beer. As its colour is one of the primary things you will consider when you choose a beer, it needs to be considered in its making.
However, things such as boil length, pH level, special ingredients, and amount of hops used can all influence the colour of beer as well, so it is not always a dead giveaway.
#3. How Does It Smell?
Another important factor is smell. Before you choose a beer, you need to give it a sniff. The aroma of the beer will tell you its quality as it will dictate which ingredients were used in the brewing process.
If you want a beer which has a plentiful amount of roasted malt, you want to be able to smell the malt-based aroma.
If you are a regular drinker of beer, you should likely be rather accustomed to being able to tell if a beer is good or not just by its odour. So, if you smell something that is not quite right, the beer may not be of great quality.
#4. What Does It Taste Like?
While beer tastes vary, a quality beer should not have any elements that are a bit off in its aftertaste. So, if you want a sweet beer, or a bitter beer, it should taste consistent.
Some good beers will give you balanced tastes. A good beer like this should not have a single flavour that overpowers all other flavours. If it does, it is probably going to be rather unpleasant.
If the taste is a bit too bitter and it overtakes your taste buds, then it will not be satisfying as a beverage, and may actually be rather vile.
#5. Super Tiny Bubbles!
Unless you are a beer connoisseur, you are unlikely to know that high quality beers need to be bubbling non-stop, and their bubbles should be very small.
If a beer is constantly bubbling with tiny bubbles, then the beer is fizzy in its natural state, so it will have been naturally seasoned. But, if a beer has bubbles which are too big and it does not fizz for long, then it is not a good beer.
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