The Brewers Association (BA) recently published the new Craft Brewers Guide to Building a Sensory Panel. This resource was developed by the Quality subcommittee and is designed to assist breweries of all sizes in implementing sensory evaluation as part of their quality management efforts.

This new resource will help breweries determine the appropriate scope of a sensory panel relative to their size, including specific advice on:

• Number of panelists required
• Development of a standard sensory lexicon
• Panelist training and validation
• Setting brand descriptions
• Equipment and space required
• Proper beer evaluation technique
• Interpreting panel results
• Total company buy-in

A trained human palate is a powerful tool and a sensory panel is an essential, fundamental element of any beer quality program. Microbiological, chemical, and physical tests can help ensure that beer meets certain specifications, but if a beer’s flavor is not aligned with the brewer’s intent and the beer drinker’s expectations, then all other measurements are of very limited use.

Download this new resource now and get started integrating sensory into your quality program!