QandAs: Food

What is meant by the "mouthfeel" of beer?

Answer:
When it comes to tasting beer, mouthfeel refers

to the physical sensations the taster experiences in his or her mouth and throat. Mouthfeel is not about the actual flavors or ingredients of a particular brew, but more about the relative thickness, acidity and viscosity of the beer when it first reaches the taster's tongue.

One way to look at mouthfeel in beer is to consider the mouthfeel of other foods and beverages. Some beer is heavily carbonated with large bubbles, which can create the same mouthfeel as a carbonated soda. Other types of beer contain smaller carbon dioxide bubbles, which would give them a mouthfeel similar to a ginger ale or fine champagne. Carbonation level is one of the criterias tasters use when evaluating a beer for mouthfeel.

Another mouthfeel element to consider is acidity or alkylinity. A beer may have an immediate sting on the taster's tongue, much like a strong ginger ale or pepper. A different type of beer could have little to no immediate bite, but could provide a longer lasting burn due to a higher alcohol content. There could also be an astringent quality to the mouthfeel of a particular beer, what some might call a "pucker factor". Bitterness and sourness would be more accurately described as flavor elements, but the effect of a beer on the tongue, mouth and throat would be considered mouthfeel.

There is also an element of viscosity or thickness when it comes to the mouthfeel of a particular beer. Some beers have a very thin texture and pass through the taster's mouth like water. Other beers have a thicker viscosity, although this can be a subjective assessment among tasters. A very heavy or thick beer may linger on the tongue longer than expected, in the same sense that cough syrup or honey would coat the taster's tongue and throat. Other mouthfeel elements in beer may be described as chalky, spicy, gummy or creamy, among many other descriptors.


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