BLOGS

As you get into craft beers you might start to see a lot of abbreviations: IPA (Indian Pale Ale), ABV (Alcohol by Volume), and even IBU (International Bitterness Units). While the IBU appears on just about every brewery menu, people can easily miss it. IBU in beer holds key information that will help you know what flavors to expect. Let’s go through it together so you can order a beer you’re confident will be up your alley next time you’re out.

Have you ever sat down to enjoy your favorite beer and wondered, “Why does this taste like bananas?” Two words: Isoamyl acetate. This organic compound produces a distinctive banana-like flavor or aroma in beer. Most beer contains isoamyl acetate, but in high concentrations, the banana flavor in beer can be overpowering and disrupt the taste of your finished product. Let’s take a look at the role isoamyl acetate plays in the beer brewing process and how you can control the levels of this compound to produce a more subtle flavor.