Palate Training
This is not the beer I tasted; this is the beer and the torta I enjoyed after tasting As part of my never-ending quest to learn more about the magical elixir known as beer I am working to refine my palate. This is a fancy way of saying I want to better understand what I'm drinking. I've read some books and taken some classes. I regularly perform sensory evaluations on my homebrew and on commercial products, identifying aromas, flavors, and the rest. Recently I took my exploits to the next level. I visited a local pub that has 20-25 beers on tap and asked the bartender for a five-ounce pour of anything on the board. I did not look at said board first, nor did I watch her pull the tap. She returned with my beer and wrote its name on a piece of paper that she folded and handed to me. "This is exciting," she said. I agreed, and she wished me luck as I retreated to an empty table to begin my Very Serious Work™. I tuned out my surroundings and focused on the ta...