Beer 101 - Beer is a Perishable Product

Beer is a foodstuff. As with most foodstuffs, beer is perishable-it deteriorates as a result of the action of bacteria, light, and air. However, unlike other food products, packaged beer is not legally mandated to carry a "sell by" date. Nonetheless, some domestic beer sold in the United States does carry a freshness date. The Boston Beer Company was among the first to use freshness dating, as far back as 1985. Anheuser-Busch has followed suit with its much-publicized "born on" dates. There are still many breweries, large and small, which do not send all their beers to market with a freshness date, but the trend is certainly moving in the right direction.

Stabilization

Prior to bottling, a typical commercial ale or lager will undergo some form of stabilization to extend its shelf life. The two primary forms of stabilization are sterile filtration, in which the beer is passed through a microporous filter that will not let through any "crunchy bits" larger than 0.5 microns; and pasteurization, whereby the beer is heated briefly to kill any microbial wildlife. Both approaches are widely used, though a number of brewers have noted that sterile filtration strips some hop flavors from their ales. A third, traditional option for preparing a beer for its journey in a bottle to your glass, "bottle conditioning," is dealt with later.

Freshness period: The drinking window

The length of time it takes for a beer to become stale (a papery note, dulled hop character, or other off flavors) is determined by the alcoholic strength and hopping level of the beer. Both alcohol and hops help preserve beer. Thus hoppier, stronger beers keep for longer. Typically, the freshness period for a lager is four months; for stronger craft-brewed ales, five months. High-gravity, high-strength beers such as doppelbocks typically carry a six- to twelve-month freshness period. All of the preceding assumes proper handling of the beer.

How can you determine the "drinking window" of a beer? It depends on the dating system used by the brewery. Taking a typical example of Boston Beer’s Samuel Adams brands, the freshness period is the time between shipment from the brewery and the freshness date, or "consume by" date, marked on the label or capsule. In the case of a beer with a "born on" date (Anheuser-Busch products, for example), the freshness period is approximately four months after the date on the label.

Imports: A note of caution

Imported beer can have a rough ride on its way to your local retailer. First, it must undergo a sea voyage, hopefully in temperature-controlled containers, or "reefers," in industry parlance. After sitting in the bonded customs warehouse (hopefully, air conditioned), it must pass through an importer’s warehouse and then be shipped to a wholesaler’s warehouse. In the best case, the local wholesaler will have temperature-controlled storage and an efficient stock

control system, although this is an area of commerce that is not renowned for sympathetic handling of product or startling efficiency with stock. One thing is for sure-at any moment of time in the Byzantine system of beer distribution in the United States, a prodigious amount of imported beer is sitting in warehouses slowly undergoing the inexorable effects of aging.

This is not to suggest that many imported beers do not find their way to us in perfect condition. However, one is not reassured by the reluctance of virtually all beer importers to put freshness dating on the wares that they import. Beers produced for consumption in European Union countries are mandated to have an expiration date on the packaging. When the same breweries produce a batch for export to the United States, too often, off comes the expiration dating and on goes the Surgeon General’s warning.

It must be said that some imported beers do carry a freshness date, but they are vastly outnumbered by those that do not. Thus a consumer purchasing a six pack of imported Czech pilsner or English bitter may have no idea as to how long the product has been in the chain of distribution. In both examples freshness is as important as with any domestic ale or lager. Dust or label discoloration may give a clue that a beer has been too long on a retailer’s shelf, but even these are not always reliable indicators. At the Beverage Testing Institute it has been noticed that a number of bottles purchased at retail have failed the freshness test, sometimes to the point of being undrinkable. Ultimately, market pressure will be the only factor that will promote wide-scale introduction of useful freshness dating for imported beers. Until such time, consumers can use the following commonsense approaches to avoid being shortchanged with stale imported beer.

1. Try to purchase imports from reputable specialty stores with enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff.
2. Check the crown cap seal (if it is a bottled product) to see if there has been any seepage. If there has, then the bottle most likely has been subjected to heat abuse.
3. Dusty, discolored labels should not inspire confidence.
4. Always insist on returning skunky, out-of-condition beer for a refund (see our article on beer faults to know what to look for). This should be no problem if you heed the first point.

Beer 101 - The Bar: Drink Locally, Think Globally

As a consequence of the craft beer revolution, there is a vast choice of beer from abroad and closer to home. When confronted by a line of tap handles stretching the full length of the bar, do not overlook your local craft brewer. Independent local breweries are the backbone of any serious beer-drinking culture and should not be taken for granted in the competitive commercial environment. Recognize that a beer brewed in smaller quantities with 100% malted barley and high-quality hops will necessarily cost a little extra. Fresh, well-brewed beer that has traveled only a small number of miles will invariably taste better than an equivalent beer that left the brewery a few months ago. Indeed, a draft beer that has traveled a great distance will certainly have been pasteurized, thus is slightly handicapped from the start. The flip side to this is that a pasteurized imported keg of beer will certainly last longer when it is tapped than an unpasteurized, "live," craft beer. The latter needs to be drunk fresh. A conscientious draft bar should keep a few tap handles devoted to local craft brews and ensure that they remain fresh.

If a beer fails to live up to its obligation of being fresh, send it back over the bar-politely of course. Beer condition must always be the primary concern of any good bar. When confronted by a long line of tap handles, your first question to the bartender should be, "What’s fresh?"

Beer 101 - Can/Bottle Conditioning: Living Beer

The term "living beer" can be either high praise or a slap in the face for a brewer. If the things that are "living" in the beer are microorganisms that ought not to be there, then it is bad news for a beer and its brewer.

Live beer, however, generally refers to the presence of noble yeasts left over from the brewing process. Beers that have been bottled unpasteurized and unfiltered, with a significant amount of live yeast, are called "bottle-conditioned" beers. The purpose of bottling beers in such a manner is to give them the potential to age and develop more complexity. Yeast inhibits oxidation and contributes complex flavors as it breaks down slowly in the bottle. Many Belgian ales are traditionally bottle conditioned through a secondary fermentation in the bottle, in a process similar to that which produces champagne.

An unpasteurized beer bottled with its yeast will not age in the manner of a conventionally processed beer. With age, bottle-conditioned beers develop a rounded, smoother mouthfeel, and over the course of years, often take on winey, vinous flavors.

Bottle conditioning is an economical means for small-scale craft brewers to bottle ales without the need for costly pasteurization or filtration equipment. How long one cellars bottle-conditioned beers is a matter of personal taste and will also depend on the specific character of the beer in question.

The following is a list of some of the top-rated, cellarable, bottle-conditioned beers we have reviewed. All or any of these would be highly recommended for a beer cellar (e.g., a cool cupboard in the basement). Suggested cellaring periods are in brackets, though they are only approximate cellaring times based on personal experiences and in some cases, brewery recommendations. Three gueuzes have been included for the simple reason that these beers have the best cellaring potential in the beer world. Frank Boon of Brouwerij Boon claims a 30-year cellar life for his gueuze beers.

• Brasserie d’Achouffe (Belgium) N’Ice Chouffe (up to 5 years)
• Chimay (Belgium) Grand Reserve Blue (up to 5 years)
• Sinebrychoff (Finland) Porter 1996 Bottling (up to 5 years)
• King & Barnes (England) Millennium Ale (up to 10 years)
• J.W. Lees (England) Harvest Ale 1998 (up to 10 Years)
• Unibroue (Canada) Quelquechose (up to 10 years)
• Young’s (England) Old Nick Barley Wine (up to 10 years)
• Lindemans (Belgium) Gueuze Cuvée René (up to 15 years)
• Frank Boon (Belgium) Gueuze Mariage Parfait (up to 20 years)
• Cantillon (Belgium) Gueuze (up to 20 years)
• Eldridge Pope (England) Thomas Hardy’s Ale (up to 20 years)

Anatomy of a Beer

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  All the different variables and procedures that go into crafting a beer make each one unique and special. Especially among craft beers, you would be hard pressed to find two beers whose construction came out to yield the exact same beer. Understanding a beer’s anatomy can help you better define its structure, and how its flavors will affect you.

  THE BODY

  The body of the beer is what we recognize as the alcoholic beverage we actually drink. It is the colored liquid that makes up the largest portion of a beer and contributes to the vast majority of its flavors and aromas. Its appearance can range greatly.

  THE HEAD

  The head of the beer is typically the smaller component and always rests on top of the beer. It is a foam ranging in colors, sizes and textures and does contribute to the beers overall aroma, and slightly to the beer’s flavor.

  THE AROMA

  The Aroma, also known as nose, or smell, is what you are able to sense by breathing in the flavors that are emanating off the beer. Depending on the glass the beer is served in, you should get your nose in as close to the head as possible. Take a deep breath in with your nose and mouth open, then several smaller ones. The intensity of aroma will vary greatly, and its ability to predict the flavor of the beer also ranges.

  THE COLOR

  The color, or look focuses on both the body of the beer and the head. What color is the body? It could be any range of colors and can be completely transparent to completely opaque – this too will give you a better understanding of how the final product will taste and feel in your mouth. The same goes with the head. Its color, density and ability to retain its structure will give you insight into the beer’s overall mouthfeel and texture.

  THE MOUTHFEEL

  The mouthfeel, or texture of the beer is a representation of how it actually feels in your mouth. Beers can range from crisp and snappy, to smooth and creamy. Consider the way the carbonation feels – is it aggressive or subdued? How easily does the beer flow over your palate? Does it have an oil like consistency, or is it closer to water? All of these will affect the way the flavor is transfered to your palate, and the overall mouthfeel will contribute to your rendering of its enjoyment.

  THE TASTE

  The taste or flavor of the beer is of course everyone’s most prominent focus. Don’t get lost by trying to absorb it all at once. Take a moment to discover how the taste has come together. All the individual sensory factors together can create a very simple, or complex flavor. It can be extremely rich and potent, or very light. Sometimes a beer will attack you with a certain obvious flavor, with subtle smaller ones hiding in the background. Flavor really is the most important sensory component of beer, and as such it should not be taken lightly. Take a moment to absorb the beer, really try to break down the flavors that are seductively, or aggressively hiding within it. It will prove to you that beer does not just taste like “beer”.

  THE FINISH

  The finish contributes to how satisfying, refreshing, or quenching the beer may or may not be. It is the feeling that is left in your mouth when you have swallowed that sip of beer. Was the flavor still in your mouth after? Maybe it was long and cloying, or short and crisp. How well does the flavor linger, or does it at all? Is it sweet or dry? Roasty or fruity? This will play directly off the flavor and mouthfeel of the beer and provide you with a final sensation that often has a great impact on how you enjoyed the overall experience.