Because beer is widely available in a variety of different styles, describing it isn’t as easy as it used to be. Knowing a handful of colorful beer descriptors comes in handy when discussing beer with others. Here’s a sample list to get you started:
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Aggressive: Boldly assertive aroma and/or taste
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Balanced: Malt and hops in similar proportions; equal representation of malt sweetness and hop bitterness in the flavor — especially at the finish
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Complex: Multidimensional; many flavors and sensations on the palate
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Crisp: Highly carbonated; effervescent
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Diacetyl: Buttery or butterscotchy aroma or flavor
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Estery: Fruity aromas
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Floral: Full of aromas reminiscent of flowers
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Fruity: Flavors reminiscent of various fruits
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Hoppy: Herbal, earthy, spicy, or citric aromas and flavors of hops
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Malty: Grainy, caramel-like; can be sweet or dry
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Roasty/toasty: Malt (roasted grain) flavors
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Robust: Rich and full-bodied
The following are two other terms commonly used to describe a beer, but they don’t describe taste:
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Mouthfeel is the tactile sensory experience of the whole inside of the mouth and throat — warmth (alcohol) in the throat, dryness, carbonation, and so on — and includes a sense of body.
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Body describes the sensation of fullness, or viscosity, of a beer on the palate, ranging from watery to creamy; beer is generally described as thin-, light-, medium-, or full-bodied.