Introduction

I like to taste samples of beer and related brewed beverages like meads and ciders). I exclude sakes, which are also brewed, from rice. Sakes are then distilled, and there is a complexity to them that eludes me. It is simply impossible to taste all variations of beer, for may reasons. However, the fun is in the trying. Note to self: Someday include the detailed description of all the factors that make tasting all beer impossible, even with an unlimited budget for travel.

Over the years, I have kept some notes of the brewed beverages that I've tasted, and this online beer-tasting journal is the result. I lack a certain artistic flair for words that people who write eloquent and lengthy descriptions about the characteristics. My descriptions are often simplistic. It is more of a checklist than a de facto tasting journal like those that beer judges or connoisseurs keep. I don't consider myself to be either. I'm just a guy who would rather try something new before having the same beer a second time.

I do try to collect as much information about the beer, the breweries, and the importer to the USA that I can find. These data usually come from the label of the bottle, in combination with some Internet research. One of my odd little beer quirks is that I will take the bottles home, soak off the labels (recycle the bottles), and mount them in a book. Seemingly random numbers in square brackets refer to which book and page the label can be found on. I've also started to keep track of where and when I tasted the beer. The exact conditions are difficult to reproduce, especially because the palate may change based on what preceeded, as well as the fact that the brain becomes somewhat less focussed as one progresses in tasting.

Navigation of this journal should be fairly simple. There are links at the top and bottom of every page that will get you to each page.

Author: Rob Jenson
This document is Copyright © 1999-2006 Robert B. Jenson.
All content on this page is covered by my standard disclaimer.