Exceptional Optics

[Stu McKinlay]

The 5/5 appearance joke has pretty much run its course but I want to get the last of it out of you all.

Forget about how good a beer smells or tastes for a moment. What beer deserves 5/5 for appearance and why? It can be anything, or a combination of things... A great bottle or tap badge (or iPod), a raunchy label, it pours perfectly, it has a head that stands up out of the glass and never fades... Post some pics and wax lyrical.

Praise or condemn the beer if you must but all I really want to hear is what looks hot (and, because we can't ale-ways be positive, what looks like rot).

[Kempicus]

I guess for me anything that looks like the first piss of the day is an automatic 1/5
On a serious note....for me lacework is a must, all the way to the bottom of the glass is great!
I know i know I’ve said this before but Twisted hop IPA looked bloody good....sparklers do help that but conversely the last time i was at Galbraiths Bitter and Twisted looked fantastic....no sparkler there, the colour was good dark reddish russet with a pillowy head beautiful!!

Ok photo's one of them is TWISTED HOP IPA notice the compact lace work 5/5
The other one is self explanatory, 4/5, lacework not quite as good.

I guess then it’s a combination of loads of factors for me, head, nice colour, lacework….

[nzbrewer]

so clarity has no impact for you? that first pic looks very hazy?

for me clarity would have to be at least 1 or 2 out of the 5 marks for appearance

[Kempicus]

only to a point, haze i don't mind at all....murkiness i don't like. I'm a homebrewer so maybe i have a great threshold to chill haze....
i had a Gouden carolous and a forbidden fruit the other day, both with good head and lacework but 3/5 for appearance because of the murk, now it could have been the pour but i find the belgiums often lack a certain brightness. That's only my preference mind you.

It's a damn good question really, what would you do with a wheat beer? zero clarity but that's how it should be....
to be honest there's no right or wrong answer it's preference and my preferences are head colour and lacework

[BeerNZ]

Of the 5 available points for appearance - I tend to break it down like this:

Colour - self explanatory
Clarity - if it's a style that should be, then it should. In saying that, if it's a Wheat and not a Krystal yet comes out like one then that's points off. Incluce in this any floaties, haze etc
Head construction - rocky, flat, colour etc include in this lacing
Head retention - I read once it should retain half it's original head height after 1 minute - I don't know how valid this is in real terms.
Carbonation - does it look natural, artifical - like a glass of ginger ale etc.

I don't necessarily award a point for each, but look at all those factors and make an overall opinion. I think appearance should generally be the category that gets the higher overall marks and have no hesitation at giving 5/5 if all the 'boxes are ticked'

[Kempicus]

That's nicely rationalised, that's pretty much what i do but i've never really thought it out that closely!

[Stu McKinlay]

The IPA looks drunker than that Brewjolais.

[Kempicus]

Yep that's probably why it looks less clear....pomeroys for lunch sun was out two very nice pints of pitch black a croucher Pilsner and emersons pilsner, forgot to have lunch wander the town while Kelly shopped, (i make friends on the man seat in womens stores) and then off to twisted hop for a skull buggery then a few IPA's....great day!

[Stu McKinlay]

I guess for me anything that looks like the first piss of the day is an automatic 1/5

and black enough to have a slight gravitational pull - 5/5.

[Kempicus]

hahahaha like i said i love that quote, i was in fact very flattered :0)
I have been known to give myself 5/5 for appearance on occasion...that beer being one of those occasions

I have indeed had lagers that looked like wee’s and had no head retention so they get 1/5.....export 33 jumps to mind

[Stu McKinlay]

didn't you drink that out of a bottle?

[Kempicus]

Nope in a branded glass

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/db-export-33/95678/30436/

[jt]

I had visions of you drinking it straight from a 750 - shattered again ...