Beer tasting notes: a simple template and example

Start with the beer and the moment

Record the beer name and brewery from the label. Add the style and ABV if they are printed there, rather than guessing from the color. A photo of the label gives you something to check later.

If you add a location, say where you tasted it. A tasting in Oslo does not make a beer Norwegian. Keep the place you drank it separate from where it was brewed.

Look: color, clarity and foam

Describe what is actually in the glass. Is it pale gold, copper or nearly black? Is it clear, hazy or opaque? Does the foam disappear quickly or leave a lasting head?

A description such as “hazy gold with a thin white head” is more useful than “looks good.” If you drank from the can or bottle, leave this part out rather than inventing an appearance.

Smell: write the first things you notice

Before tasting, take a short sniff. Use familiar words: bread, toast, coffee, chocolate, citrus peel, flowers or ripe fruit. Write down the strongest one or two impressions. There is no need to fill a paragraph with every possible aroma.

Describe an impression as an impression. “I get a coffee-like aroma” does not claim that the recipe contains coffee. If you cannot pick out an aroma, it is fine to say so.

Taste: follow the sip through to the finish

Notice what arrives first, how sweet or bitter it seems, and what lingers after swallowing. “Bready at first, then a dry, bitter finish” gives the next reader a useful sequence.

Keep personal preference separate from a fault. A beer can be more bitter than you enjoy without being badly made. Explain what you liked or disliked so readers with different tastes can still use your note.

How to rate beer without losing the useful detail

Think about texture: light or full, soft or prickly, smooth or drying. These are mouthfeel observations. You might write “light body with lively carbonation” or “thick and soft with a warming finish.”

Add a short overall impression at the end. If you use a score, explain it with one sentence. A number alone cannot tell someone whether you loved the hop aroma, the texture or the balance.

The BJCP scoresheet separates aroma, appearance, flavor, mouthfeel and overall impression for competition judging. This everyday template borrows those categories, not its points system. Your personal rating should say how much you enjoyed this beer, with enough context to remember why.

Sources: BJCP Beer Scoresheet ↗

A beer tasting notes template you can reuse

Copy the prompts below into your own notes, then keep only the parts you can answer. Short, honest notes are useful. An invented detail is not.

Example of a made-up tasting note: “Hazy gold with a white head. Citrus-peel aroma. Soft body, a little sweetness and a dry, bitter finish. I liked the aroma but wanted a crisper finish.” This is an example of the format, not a review of a specific beer.

If you have only one sentence, choose the detail that explains your reaction. The examples below are invented wording exercises, not member reviews.

Share the part only you can add

On Post Your Beer, upload a photo, check the beer details, and add your own note. Choose a tasting post if you want to record detailed ratings. A simple photo post is enough when you only want to remember the moment.

Write in your own words. Another person can look up the brewery, but your impression of that particular pour is something they cannot get from the label.