VISUALLY INSPECT THE BEER. GIVE YOUR NOSE A REST, AND SCORE THE AP...

5. Visually inspect the beer. Give your nose a rest, and score the appearance of the beer. Tilt the cup, and examine it through backlighting. For darker beers, it may be necessary to use a small flashlight to adequately illuminate the beer. Examine the beer’s color, clarity, and head (retention, color, and texture). Write comments about the degree to which the color, clarity, and head are appropriate for the intended style and record a score. Score the beer for appearance, allocating a maximum of one point for each of these characteristics.