State Fair Park - Like a jeweler gazing into a diamond in search of defects, Bill Van Zante raised a plastic cup of Oatmeal Stout skyward and peered into the coal-black liquid. The bubbles were fine, small and plentiful. and the color, a dark shade through which little light passed.
But when Van Zante put the cup to his lips, his face contorts into twisted mass of angst. "Bitter beer face" isn't the technical term for the harsh aftertaste, but it fits. "That's not something you look for in a beer," Van Zante said. Such is life for a beer judge. Van Zante, a 38-year-old researcher for a seed corn company in Des Moines, gets to sample dozens of bottles of home-brewed beer while judging beer contests across the midwest, and most recently at the Nebraska State Fair. But for every beer that scores 40 or higher (50 is a perfect score), there are brews that are as grungy as the band nirvana or as jolting as a mouthful of vinegar. In short, it's not quite every man's dream job. There are written and taste tests to pass to become certified. even so, the perks - quaffing beer on a saturday morning with people passionate about their porters and ales - aren't bad. "It's both a blessing and a curse," said Van Zante, a judge for four years. "You never drink beer the same again." Van Zante and his companion judge, Dale Andersen of Omaha, were among about 50 people, both judges and helpers called "stewards," seated around tables and scoring the state fair's beer and wine entries. It's a mixed group. On one side of the room is the beer crowd: younger, mostly men, wearing home-brewer t-shirts like "Iowa Brewers Union" and "American Beer Academy." On the other side are the wine people: a mix of men and women, older, less gregarious and dressed for an afternoon golf match. Coordinating is Frank Sobetski Jr., the owner of an Omaha home-brewers shop, Fermenter's Supply, who has been supervising the fair's wine and beer contests for almost 20 years. Sobetski, a certified beer judge, said judges must prove their taste buds can distinguish between an American Pale Ale, an English Pale Ale and an India Pale Ale. They must know the characteristics needed in the 72 distinct styles of beer. It's not like a decade ago, when just about any warm body might be pulled in to judge the beer. "Judging involves a lot more training than it used to," said Anderson, 62, who works at Borsheim's when he's not brewing or judging beers. While each judge has a preference, there are criteria to meet. An Imperial Stout, for instance, should be stronger than other English ales, but not as fruity as a Russian Imperial Stout. The judges drink the beer, albeit a small taste. They just don't sip it and spit it out, though judges do use bread, water and bland cheese to clean their palates between tastes. You can't taste certain hops without getting the beer on the back of your tongue, Van Zante said. "Once it gets there, it's too far down." And least that's their story. As the judging progressed, Van Zante and Anderson sipped, jotted down their impressions of the aroma, appearance, flavor and "mouth feel." When they were done, their two stewards, Steve Olsen and Jim Hust, two home-brewers from Lincoln, offered their opinions. Other judges stopped by periodically, offering a taste of brews they judged outstanding. "There's a little horse in there," said Van Zante, after sampling a Belgian Strong Ale and the "horsey blanket" taste needed in such beers. Even the beer judges wander over to sample the "most unique" wine, which can range from mushroom to corncob, wheat to jalapeno. But on this day, there were no perfect "50" beers to be found among about 110 entries. David Oenbring, a Lincoln tax accountant, won the best overall brewer prize for his entries of Belgians, Bocks and Pilsners. Van Zante said that overall, he judges fewer beers that are total failures - beers that gush when opened or have a "skanky" taste. Home-brewers are improving their craft, he said, as are the judges. "It's a hard job," he joked, "but somebody's got to do it." |
