Tom asks: When a beer is described as “Toasty”, what exactly do they mean?
Tom asks: “When a beer is described as “Toasty”, what exactly do they mean?”
Toasty usually refers to a literal toasty flavor in the beer. Usually it’s either a toasted malt or adjunct (oats, barley, etc.), or it could just be that an aromatic or biscuit malt was used in the brew. I’m sure there are probably other ways of achieving a toasty flavor, but in my experience, these are the main factors in making a nice toasty nose.
I love toasty beer, but it can easily be overdone.
My second all-grain brew used a bit too much aromatic malt, and though the resultant beer was pretty damn good, it was just a bit overpowering on the toastiness.
Try Fat Tire by New Belgium; it’s got a nice biscuity toastiness.
