Road to BJCP

Road to BJCP Video 7: Spice, Herb, and Vegetable

In this video I talk about the spice, herb, and vegetable specialty style of the Beer Judge Certification Program, which includes Autumn Seasonal Beers (AKA Pumpkin Spice Ales) and Winter Seasonal Beers (winter warmers and Christmas beers). I also talk about which is which (spice, herb, and vegetable vs. autumn seasonal vs. winter seasonal). This category is like an overlay on top of a base category, which has to be specified upon entering a competition and should be provided to the judges. The spice, herb, and/or vegetable flavor should be evident in the aroma and flavor but not overpowering. There are no “vital statistics” (IBU, SRM, FG, OG, ABV) for these types of beers since they use those values from the specified base style.

Road To BJCP Video 3: Off Flavors

In this video I present the off flavors in beer that are on the BJCP exam and also commonly found in competitions. These include oxidization, acetaldehyde, diacetyl, sour, dimethyl sulfate (DMS), vegetal, astringent, solventy / fusel alcohols, alcoholic (“hot”), estery, grassy, light struck / skunked, metallic, musty, sulphuric, earthy, and leathery. I also talk about how to fix these, since part of the BJCP scoresheet and exam covers how to fix these common off flavors.

Road to BJCP 2: Tasting and Evaluating Beer

I posted the second of I’m-not-sure-how-many videos in the Road to BJCP series. I do an evaluation of Deschutes Obsidian Stout in the same way that I would evaluate a beer that I’m judging. I talk about evaluating the aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel, and overall impression of this beer and compare it to the Beer Judge Certification Program 2015 Style Guidelines.

The next video is going to be about off-flavors… coming out next week!