Just a reminder that later on tonight (Wednesday) at 8pm BeerSweden together with Sigtuna Brygghus is going to conduct the first ever simultaneous national beer tasting live on BeerSweden’s Facebook page.

It all sounds a little complicated but in reality it’s pretty straight forward. Right now there are two unmarked bottles of Sigtuna beer chilling out in the fridges of five members of the BeerSweden community located all across Sweden. At 8pm tonight we will all simultaneously open one bottle after the other and post our immediate thoughts on what we think of the beer via this blog’s Facebook page.

According to our research it’s the first time such an online tasting has been done in this country and it’s certain be a lot of fun, so be sure to tune in at 8pm to see whether we all agree on what we think about these beers!

I happen to know that one of the two beers we’ll be trying is this year’s Sigtuna Black October which will be launched at the Systembolaget in the Autumn. But as if getting to try the beer months before it goes on sale isn’t enough Sigtuna Brygghus is also giving followers of BeerSweden the awesome responsibility of choosing the new label design for this beer!

Here are three ‘never-been-seen-before’ front label artwork alternatives for this year’s Sigtuna Black October. You now have a little over 24 hours to decide which one is your favourite and post your choice (of A,B or C) as a comment on the BeerSweden Facebook page or under this article. When the results are added up tomorrow night the design with the most votes will be submitted to the Systembolaget for approval next week and will be the one seen on the shelves come the Autumn.

It’s your chance to get actively involved and help support one of Sweden’s most exciting craft brewers so be sure to join us later tonight to check out the live tasting and to cast your vote for your favourite label design.

Cheers and Beers!

Darren

(here’s a link to a slightly more hi-res picture of the label designs if you want a closer look. Worth noting that the yellow colour shown here will be gold and the white detail will be silver in the final design).

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And finally here it is – the grand finale of the BrewDog Extreme Beer Tasting. And what a way to finish, with Tactical Nuclear Penguin (”oh my good gawd”) and Sink the Bismarck, which at the time of writing is the world’s strongest beer (that’s been rated any way).

Hope you’ve enjoyed this rather ‘unconventional’ tasting. For those of you that for some crazy reason want to see the entire tasting uncut in all its 115 minutes of glory I’ll be posting a link here shortly to where you can download it.

In the next episode of BSTV I’ll be trying a beer with less alcohol in it. That’s a promise!

Somewhere in Stockholm early next week I’ll sit down at a table and conduct the most extreme tasting of BrewDog beers ever seen in Sweden.

I just hope I get back up again!

Here’s a list of the BrewDog beers I’ll be giving a whirl:

5am Saint

Abstrakt 01

Paradox Smokehead

Paradox Arran

Alpha Dog

Trashy Blonde

Punk IPA

77 Lager

Bashah

Zeitgeist

Tokyo

Hardcore IPA (World Beer Cup winner)

Tactical Nuclear Penguin

Sink the Bismarck

It promises to be the tasting equivalent of competing in an Ironman competition and I’ll have the camera there to record every single extreme second of it for you. So remember to check back next week for some very special episodes of BeerSweden TV!

Learning to taste beer properly, like anything in life, is worth spending a bit of time perfecting. If you do you’ll increase your knowledge, enjoyment and beer cred to a whole new level. Here’s four simple steps to becoming a beer tasting guru:

STEP ONE

LOOK – Just like wine should never be drunk straight from a bottle you should avoid drinking beer straight from a bottle or can whenever possible. This is because the look of the beer as it’s poured into a glass can tell you a lot about it long before it gets anywhere near your nose or mouth. What colour is the beer ? If it’s light, bright and highly carbonated it might be a lager. If it pours dark brown with a thick soapy head you might be looking at an ale. Some beer styles, including wheat beers and gueuzers, are unfiltered and so the beer is cloudy. That’s good, but if you see lumps floating around in your beer it can also be a sign that the beer’s gone bad. Remember that the brewers have gone to a lot of time and effort to make your beer look the way it does so take a few moments to check out your beer.

STEP TWO

SWIRL AND SNIFF – Some people may accuse me of crossing over into pretentious wine territory here but there is in fact good reason to swirl your beer before smelling it. Swirling beer in the glass increases the surface area of the liquid, actually making it easier to smell. The aromas will concentrate at the top of the glass making it easier for you to pick out certain smells.  Once you’ve given the beer a good swirl (trying to avoid spilling it along the way) put your nose directly above the glass and take a few deep sniffs. Does it smell floral, piney, or citrusy? Then it might be a beer high in hops. If it smells of chocolate, tobacco and toffee then the beer will probably have a big malty character.

The smell of a beer plays a crucial part in our perception of the taste of a beer, so take some time to think about what you’re sniffing. Don’t be afraid to try and verbalise what you’re experiencing. If you get wet dog or rubber tyres (I hope not but if you do) then tell the others at your tasting. It makes the whole experience more fun!

STEP THREE

TAKE A SIP – That’s right a sip, don’t down the glass in one. The golden rule here is: Don’t just drink. Think!

Make sure to move the beer around in your mouth a bit to ensure it coats the entire tongue. That’s because your tongue is divided into tasting ‘zones’ and we want hit every one of them. Sweetness is detected at the very tip of the tongue, bitterness at the back (which is why you have to swallow your beer), while sourness and acidity is picked-up along the sides.

Remember to try and breathe in at the same time as you take a sip. By doing so you’re activating your smell and touch senses simultaneously – both of which are crucial elements in helping your determine flavours.

How does the beer ‘feel’? Is it thick or thin, flat or fizzy, cold or warm? Does the beer taste sweet or sour, or bitter? What flavours are coming through – is the beer fruity, spicy, yeasty or does it taste of very little at all? Just like in wine we also talk about length of taste, so does the beer start brightly but then quickly fade away or does it leave a long, refreshingly bitter aftertaste?

Again here’s your chance to shine. Don’t be afraid to put words to what you’re experiencing. If you taste cigars and cherries then tell the other tasters. Remember you can never be wrong because you’re the only expert in your own tastes!

STEP FOUR

EVALUATE – Take a few moments to think about everything you’ve experienced. How did the beer look, what did it smell, feel and taste like? Did you and your friends enjoy it and would you like to try a similar type of beer again? If you want to make some tasting notes to remind you of a particular beer do it now while it’s all still fresh in your memory.

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Remember that practice makes perfect. Use these simple steps every time you try a new beer and it won’t be long before you’re an expert beer taster!