This glossary defines the words used in the world of beer. Click a word to see its definition. To narrow your search, you can also select a letter below.
8 words for the letter R
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R
Racking
Packaging beer in cans, bottles or kegs.
Rauchbier
“Smoked beer” in German. Specialty of Bamberg, in Franconia, brewed with malt dried over beechwood smoke, which gives it a characteristic smoky taste.
Real Ale
Unfiltered, unpasteurized British beer that finishes maturing in the cask from which it is served, usually by hand pump, without added gas. The term was popularized by the consumer organization CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale).
Reinheitsgebot
Beer purity decree, issued in Bavaria in 1516, which limited beer's ingredients to water, barley and hops (yeast, whose role was then unknown, was added later). It remains a benchmark for many German brewers.
Retronasal olfaction
Perceiving aromas internally: once the beer is in the mouth, its volatile compounds rise to the nose through the back of the throat. It plays an essential role in tasting (see Flavor).
Ridicule
Beer glass holding 25 cl. Equivalent to a demi.
Roasting
This operation consists of roasting the malt grains to give a particular flavor and color to the beer.
Rounded
A rounded beer has a flavor that lingers in the mouth.