For most people, 9 a.m. is too early to start drinking, but for the jurors at the “Brussels Beer Challenge” on Saturday, the sooner the better.
These experts say the tastebuds are unspoilt and the mind is rested in the morning, which is important as the process of ranking dozens of beers per day requires some concentration.
The organisers say it is one of the most significant competitions in the industry with 1,800 beers judged blind by a panel of 75 international experts, flown in from as far away as Brazil and the United States.
“It’s like the Olympic Games for beer. The beers are the athletes, but so are the tasters as they’re tasting about 40 beers a day,” event director Thomas Costenoble said.
“The international element is really important because we don’t want the tasting to be judged according to Belgian tastes, or American tastes or Spanish tastes,” Costenoble added.
At table six, a panel of six jurors started the day with fruit beers – no easy feat, according to Lisa Morrison, as characters vary widely meaning judging them according to fixed criteria is a challenge.
“Each beer has its own set of styles that it’s supposed to adhere to, much like a dog show… These beers are measured by certain styles so that’s what we’re looking for,” said Morrison, who runs a bar in Portland, Oregon.
Across the quiet table – the tasting happens in semi-silence to avoid distractions – Swiss beer importer Yan Amstein said he was also motivated by commercial considerations.
“We ask ourselves: would I drink this beer? That’s also important. We’re beer geeks, we’re fans, but at the end of the day the product has to be drinkable,” he said.
The contest is entering its tenth year, with nearly four times as many entrants for the latest edition as for the first, meaning competition for the handful of prizes is intense.
