About time huh? I was off making some more brews. I have a goal to have 4 on tap by the 21st. The latest is a 10% Imperial IPA that gave me a massive amount of trouble to start. It's finishing up fermenting now so we'll see if everything went according to plan. Now on to the scores!
These scores are given to participants involved in homebrewing by certified beer judges. Although it sounds kind of funny this is a very real certification. The purpose of the Beer Judge Certification Program is to promote beer literacy and the appreciation of real beer, and to recognize beer tasting and evaluation skills. I haven't taken the exam yet but I hear it's very detailed. I had two different judges critiquing my entry. Angelo (the head brewer at Barley's Brewpub in downtown Columbus) and Jeff, a certified judge from the area. Jeff, I hear is a bear when it comes to scores so I was quite happy when I read his sheet.
1st up is
aroma. Aroma is important in any food you eat isn't it? To be honest my stomach could be completely full and the moment I start smelling pulled pork my mouth starts to water. Who the hell smells a beer right? Some people (admittedly like myself) smell a beer before they drink it. Others just rely on their nose to add to the experience. If someone wanted you to try a beer that they swore was the best damn beer they ever had yet it smelled like a rhino pissed in it you'd probably give it a wide berth. Part of drinking coffee is that awesome aroma when it's being made isn't it? The same should apply with beer. I know not too many people take the time to catch all the aromas coming from their beer but they might be surprised what they smelled if they did. Take for instance a Bud. The next time you open a beer from Anheuser Busch or Miller be a "snob" and put it in a glass. Give it a quick whiff and ask yourself what you smell. I won't tell you what I smell so you can judge for yourself.
Aroma
Angelo - Nice roasty toasty with a hint of fruit, butterscotch and alcohol.
9 out of a possible 12
Jeff - Medium roasted malt, faint alcohol, fruity esters, and very low diacetyl (pleasant).
10/12
Appearance - I've never used to pay attention to appearance but in the last 6 or so months I've been introduced to the possibility. It's a nice addition to beer when I think about it. I want my stouts to be black as motor oil and my IPA's clear with hints of red in them. It's not huge in my opinion. Seeing as it's only worth 3 of the 50 possible points for a perfect score it doesn't matter to them that much either. I scored 3/3 with Angelo and Jeff. Angelo called it
beautiful.
Flavor - Obviously one of the most important factors in any food product but sadly a lot of people miss out on the different flavors real craft beers can have.
Jeff - Medium roasty grainy malt, moderate bitterness balances (
keyword is balance - Fred) without overpowering. Finishes dry from the dark malts or oatmeal (
I used 12oz of real quaker oats).
17/20
Angelo - Alcohol evident - not buggin me though, graininess is present, like the balance (
bingo again with the balance!) - good roasty coffee flavor not over done.
17/20
Mouthfeel - The body and carbonation of the beer. Is it light and watery? Heavy and syrup like? Too much or too little carbonation?
Angelo - wonderful, enticing, coats the tongue on all sides
4/5
Jeff - medium carbonation, medium body, creamy, slight warmth
5/5 (perfect!)
Overall Impression -
Jeff - very nice beer, hits all the right notes
8/10
Angelo - WELL DONE - might be too strong or alcoholic for the style but
I like it (I like alcohol)
8/10
Totals
Jeff - 43/50
Angelo 41/50
I'm very happy with my scores. With all the mishaps that happened
with it's production I can't wait to make this again and have it come out perfect.
