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Odell Brewing Introduces Sensory Basics

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Sometimes it’s nice to, “stop and smell the roses,” right? Taking time to focus and re-acquaint yourself with the journey, rather than rushing through your everyday tasks. The same can be true with craft beer. We all know how to drink beer, but when was the last time you stopped to evaluate what’s in that glass? You know you like it, but what is it that you like about it?

Luckily, Odell Brewing, in Fort Collins, Colo., has you covered. They recently published a blog post “Sensory Basics – Understanding Flavor,” about getting back to the basics of evaluating craft beer goodness.

“Have you ever swallowed a sip of your favorite beer and struggled to find the right words to describe its delicious flavor? It’s not always easy. Beers come in an array of styles, colors, and flavors. That’s the best part about craft beer, right? There’s a lot that goes into tasting a beer: sight, taste, smell, and touch (mouthfeel); although, you may not realize it when you’re sipping beers with your friends.”

While a very simple and effective way to evaluate your favorite beer, Odell’s first suggestion doesn’t involve tasting the beer at all. Instead, the brewery instructs you to cover the glass with a clean hand and swirl it. To find out why, be sure to read their entire post, “Sensory Basics – Understanding Flavor.”

We can all get into a rush, if there is one thing that warrants you to slow down and take a moment to evaluate, shouldn’t it be beer? Sometimes you just have stop and smell the beers every once and awhile.

Andy Sparhawk, the Brewers Association's acting editor-in-chief for CraftBeer.com. Andy is a Certified Cicerone® and BJCP Beer Judge. He lives in Westminster, Colorado where he is an avid craft beer enthusiast. On occasion, Andy is inspired to write on his experiences with craft beer, and if they are not too ridiculous, you might see the results here on CraftBeer.com.

CraftBeer.com is fully dedicated to small and independent U.S. breweries. We are published by the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade group dedicated to promoting and protecting America’s small and independent craft brewers. Stories and opinions shared on CraftBeer.com do not imply endorsement by or positions taken by the Brewers Association or its members.