While attending the annual Cheers Beverage Conference recently, I played host to an informal beer tasting attended by a handful of prominent writers and consultants operating primarily in the spirits and wine worlds. Although I had corralled a bunch of interesting ales for the express purpose of the tasting, the two days of the Conference are so packed that its timing was left a bit up in the air, eventually landing it late at night on the first day of the event.

     Not the best time for a focused tasting, obviously, but one which helped reveal a couple of truths that are sometimes forgotten in the rush to get that next rating or review.

     Take the sampling of this month's TOTM, for example. At 9% alcohol by volume, full of hops and spicy notes, Collaboration not Litigation Ale can hardly be considered a lightweight brew. But sampled as the clock ticked steadily towards midnight, first among a flight of strong, bold brews, it tasted, well, mild, really. The big hoppiness I perceived the following day when I sampled the beer late in the afternoon - before rather than after dinner - was so significantly reduced that it scarcely provoked comment from the tasters. And its formidable strength seemed hardly an issue.

     Later on in the tasting, after our palates had been opened up and we were perceiving things more accurately, we arrived at the Lost Abbey Angel's Share, a forcefully malty, brandy barrel aged ale of 10% alcohol. In recognition of its bottle fermented state, I carefully decanted the ale into each taster's glass, leaving about one inch of cloudy brew in the bottom of the 750 ml, cork-sealed bottle. We tasted; we discussed the malt and fruit flavours contained within the beer; we concluded that this was a beer for dessert, rather than one to be served with dessert.

     Then I dumped some yeast into everyone's glasses.

     Instantly, Angel's Share was transformed into a lighter-tasting, less cloying and spicier beer, much more suited to presentation with food than it had been before the addition. Eyebrows were raised all around and reassessments began. In the end, it was agreed that the yeasted and non-yeasted beers were virtually two different animals, thus reinforcing the idea that it's important to sample bottle-conditioned beers both with and without their yeast.

     Musing on the results of the tasting the next day, I was reminded of three important tasting facts:

     1) Always bear in mind the context of the tasting, including the time of day, state of mind and recent gastronomic experiences (ie: foods just eaten and drink recently enjoyed);

     2) Remember the usefulness of a warm-up tasting, which not only serves to stimulate the taste buds and, if several tasters are involved, make sure that everyone is on the same page as far as the flavours and aromas they are perceiving, but also goes a long way in avoiding positive or negative "palate shock" when tasting the first beer; and

     3) Remember when possible to sample bottle-conditioned beers both with and without their yeast additions, and make note of how the yeast changes the beer.

     What it all boils down to is context and content: Two words that are very handy to remember whenever new beers are being tasted.

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