Beerpedia

When reviewing beer, appearance is one of the things that wins points. Appearance is important because it tells a lot about the liquid we are enjoying.

Beer foam (more commonly referred to as head) is probably the one that gets noticed first. There are people who dislike it because it takes up space for the actual liquid, but as an overall indicator of beer quality, the foam/head is a drinker’s friend. It is created from all of the CO2 bubbles rising to the top and each one of them releasing a little cloud of aroma. In order to fully experience the beer, smelling the foam/head will definitely increase the excitement and enhance the overall beer drinking experience. Brewers don't aim for foam just for the sake of it, but rather prefer a stable head that will last.

The colour and clarity of the beer play an important sensory role as well. Lager beers we brew tend to have a golden, crystal clear colour that looks absolutely mesmerizing on an ice-cold glass. If needed/wanted, a small addition of specialty malts can be added in order to affect the colour without really compromising the taste. Keep in mind that some beer styles are hazy on purpose, e.g. Staropramen Unfiltered.

In our brewery, it is not an uncommon sight to see brewers admiring a recently emptied glass and nodding their heads with approval. Don't worry, they haven't gone crazy, they are just admiring the lacing. Lacing is the thing we notice last, once we’ve had a few sips. It is actually the leftover foam after we’ve had our beer that indicates the quality of ingredients used and the full-body of beer. Lacing is a thing of pride for every brewer.

As we can see, beer appearance has a lot to do with both the ingredients and the applying of hard-thought brewing knowledge. Looking into a glass of beer, we are actually looking into the very soul of the beer. Everybody claims to have the "substance over style" attitude, and with beer this definitely is a thing. Still, the outside is often a good indicator of what one might find on the inside.