Master Brewer Certification Sensory Evaluation & Beer Styles 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which beer style is characterized by a Cologne, Germany origin, top fermentation at lager-like cool temperatures, and a clean, delicate palate?
- Altbier
- Kölsch (Correct answer)
- Hefeweizen
- Märzen
Correct answer: Kölsch
Kölsch is a German ale brewed in Cologne with top-fermenting yeast but lagered at cold temperatures, producing a crisp, lightly fruity profile.
Question 2: DMS (dimethyl sulfide) in beer is most commonly associated with which aroma descriptor?
- Floral/rose
- Cooked corn or creamed corn (Correct answer)
- Barnyard/leather
- Medicinal/plastic
Correct answer: Cooked corn or creamed corn
DMS is a sulfur compound derived from SMM in malt that produces a cooked vegetable aroma, most often described as creamed corn.
Question 3: The SRM (Standard Reference Method) scale in brewing measures what characteristic of beer?
- Bitterness intensity
- Color darkness (Correct answer)
- Alcohol content
- Carbonation level
Correct answer: Color darkness
SRM quantifies beer color on a numeric scale, where low numbers (1–4) indicate pale straw and high numbers (40+) represent opaque black beers.
Question 4: Which aroma compound, produced by certain yeast strains during fermentation, is responsible for the banana-like ester in a Bavarian Hefeweizen?
- Ethyl acetate
- Isoamyl acetate (Correct answer)
- Diacetyl
- 4-vinylguaiacol
Correct answer: Isoamyl acetate
Isoamyl acetate is the ester responsible for the distinctive banana aroma in Hefeweizen, produced by Bavarian hefeweizen yeast strains at warmer fermentation temperatures.
Question 5: A 'dry-hopped' American IPA would most likely exhibit which primary aromatic characteristic?
- Roasted malt and dark chocolate
- Intense floral, citrus, tropical, or resinous hop aroma with minimal bitterness contribution (Correct answer)
- Sour lactic acidity
- Heavy caramel sweetness
Correct answer: Intense floral, citrus, tropical, or resinous hop aroma with minimal bitterness contribution
Dry hopping adds hops after fermentation, maximizing volatile aromatic compounds (terpenes, thiols) with little isomerization for bitterness.
Question 6: In the context of judging beer style accuracy, what does 'balance' refer to?
- Equal parts malt and hops by weight in the recipe
- The harmony between sweetness, bitterness, acidity, carbonation, and alcohol so no single element overwhelms (Correct answer)
- A 50/50 blend of two different base beers
- Equal portions served in a flight
Correct answer: The harmony between sweetness, bitterness, acidity, carbonation, and alcohol so no single element overwhelms
Balance in sensory evaluation means that all flavor components—malt sweetness, hop bitterness, yeast character, carbonation—are proportioned to complement rather than dominate each other.
Master Brewer Certification Sensory Evaluation & Beer Styles 2
Which beer style is characterized by a Cologne, Germany origin, top fermentation at lager-like cool temperatures, and a clean, delicate palate?