refers to the flavors and aroma sensations that linger after food or drink is no longer in the mouth. The general associations of the word tend toward the negative—we even refer to the memory of an unpleasant experience as leaving a “bitter aftertaste.” Mass-market lagers are often advertised as being “clean” or “crisp,” with some ads having gone so far as to claim “no aftertaste.”

In the world of wine and food, however, a fine aftertaste is widely considered a desirable attribute. A person who enjoys oysters will be as impressed by lingering sensations of fresh sea air as by the oyster itself. A wine with little aftertaste is referred to as “short” and the term is pejorative. What we refer to as a sense of taste is mostly a sense of smell. The tongue only perceives sweet, sour, salt, and bitter, and umami, a savory sensation produced by glutamic amino acids. Located at the peak of the nasal cavity, our olfactory receptors react to molecules carried by air and can detect up to 10,000 different compounds, many of which may linger in our perception long after a beer has been swallowed.

Aftertaste, therefore, is complex and will include both tongue/palate impressions and olfactory impressions. A hoppy India pale ale, properly brewed, will not disappear instantly from the tongue, but leave a clean, sharp bitterness. It will also leave a pleasant echo of resiny hop aromatics that invite the next sip. A well-made Imperial stout may leave a combination of roast acidity and hop bitterness, but hopefully without an excess of drying astringency. Olfactory sensations may include caramel, chocolate, coffee, and fruit. If the beer is barrel-aged in American oak, there may be an overlay of vanilla and coconut.

A pleasant aftertaste in beer is a matter of recipe design, brewing technique, and raw materials. A good aftertaste is a critical part of a beer’s overall drinkability. Water chemistry is particularly important; trace metals in brewing water can lead to metallic aftertastes, and carbonate waters can give hop bitterness a lingering harshness. Improper sparging of the mash will release excess tannins, giving beer an astringent aftertaste. A nicely brewed pilsner, however, while very “clean,” will leave a fine-boned, appetizing sharpness and a sense-memory of freshly baked bread. Even the lightest of beers should possess an aftertaste, and it is up to the brewer to create impressions that beckon rather than repel.

See also bitterness, sparging, umami, and water.