Pour your brew into a clear glass.
The glass should be hand washed (the dishwasher may introduce alien aromas or flavors from other food sources) and well rinsed as to eliminate any unwanted soap residue. Air-dry the glass. Never use cloth or paper towels (again, alien flavors or aromas). Allow a head to form - not too much - but enough to notice the bubbles. Pour the beer into the glass at an angle, as the beer approaches the top, tilt the glass upright and pour the beer straight down. See how fine or large the bubbles are. Does the head last, creating lace? Enjoy the aroma as the head dissipates, releasing the beer’s natural fragrance. Inhale several times while gently agitating the glass. Beer aroma really does dissipate rapidly so the best time to examine the aroma is just after pouring the glass.
Now examine the color. Notice the different colors, hues and shades. Drink a little beer and then hold some in your mouth for a while. Notice the bubbles or effervescence. Swallow the beer and carefully perceive the flavors. Wait awhile and attempt to identify the aftertaste. Just after swallowing the beer you may lightly smack your tongue on the roof of your mouth to being forth trace and lingering flavors. Your spouse or date will probably not be too impressed if you perform this step in an overly enthusiastic manner – remember, the goal is to fully taste the beer, not imitate the Russian Army slogging through the mud. Drink the entire beer (Beer changes in complexity and character throughout the glass).
If you are sampling more than one beer in a sitting, drink the lighter beers first. Some of the darker and stronger beers can overwhelm your taste buds, making it virtually impossible to fully appreciate the sometimes delicate and subtle flavors in the lighter beers.

The Rating System 10 - Unattainable Perfection (so far) 9 - Heavenly Nearly Perfect 8 - Exceptional. Very well made. 7 - Really Good Beer. Always worth a try. 6 - Fair to Good. Usually worth Trying. 5 - Fair. Not Bad/Not Good 4 - Bland. Weak. Lacks Flavor or Character 3 - Bland. Weak. Has some objectionable flavor(s) 2 - Offensive and/or disgusting and/or insulting 1 – Ridiculous

Price is not a rating factor, however we should consider the value of a beer when comparing cost to the rating number. Question: Would you rather drink, as your everyday day beer, a beer you have rated a 7.5 at $5.00 a 6-pack, or an 8 rating at $9.00 a 6-pack? These are the choices we face each and every time we go on our “Research” field trips.

Rating Order
Name Country/State/City Style Color/Shade Malt Characteristics Hops Initial Rating
Notes and observations (Body, Aroma, Flavors, Head, Impressions and Final Rating)

Examples

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Samuel Smith - N.Yorkshire, Eng
Style		Taddy Porter	Notes/Observations
Color/Shade		Dark Mahogany	Rich, yet Liquid Drinkability. Lightly Sweet. Hint of Coffee and Dark Chocolate. Tasty!
Malt		Full Malt
Hops Rating		Fairly High Hops	Rating = 8.0

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Pedigree - England
Style		Ale	Notes/Observations
Color/Shade		Tea color	Slightly Flat and Thin; Mellow; Hint of Pectin. Dissipating Head.
Malt		Mild and smooth
Hops Rating		Tea-like Hops (6.5)	Rating = 6.5

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Fuller's - London, Eng
Style		ESB	Notes/Observations
Color/Shade		Amberish Teak	Balanced; Rich and Smooth; Slight alcohol fume. This is seriously professional beer!
Malt		Full Bodied
Hops Rating		Full Complex Hops (8.0)	Rating = 8.5

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Chimay - Chimey, Bel
Style		Peres Trappists Cinq Cents	Notes/Observations
Color/Shade		Cloudy Amber	Dry yet Lightly Sweet; Richly Flavored; Herbal; Strong Alcohol; Fantastic Head! Powerful Ale!
Malt		Full Malt
Hops Rating		Highly Hopped (8.0)	Rating = 8.5

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Duvel - Breendonk, Bel
Style		Belgian Ale	Notes/Observations
Color/Shade		Cloudy Amber	Strong Flavors; Robust; Rich; Complex; Yeasty; Fresh Hop Nose. Premium Beer!
Malt		Very Malty
Hops Rating		High Hops (7.5)	Rating = 8.0

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Hoegaarden - Hoegaarden, Bel
Style		White Ale	Notes/Observations
Color/Shade		Cloudy Pale Yellow	Extra Dry; Fine Carbonation; Some Clove Aroma and taste. Very Sharp.
Malt		Light Body
Hops Rating		High Bitter Hops (7.0)	Rating = 7.0

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Tremont - Boston, MA
Style		Winter Ale	Notes/Observations
Color/Shade		Red Mahogany	(Dated) Limited Release; Sweet and Strong; Alcohol presence. Bring on the holidays!!
Malt		Deep Rich Full Malt
Hops Rating		High Whole Hops (8.0)	Rating = 8.0

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Samuel Adams - Boston, MA
Style		Stock Ale	Notes/Observations
Color/Shade		Deep Copper	Well Rounded; Clean Fruit Finish; Fruit Nose. Great Everyday Beer!
Malt		Nice Malt Body
Hops Rating		Ample Hops (8.0)	Rating = 9.0

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