After several delays over two years caused by the COVID pandemic, the Cornwall Tasting Panel of CAMRA was able to carry out two stages of training in May for recruits and established tasting panel members, who are all volunteer CAMRA members.

The course took place at the Star at Crowlas which is renowned for the consistently high quality of its beer and range of beer styles on offer. Our thanks go to Pete Elvin the owner and Darren Norbury the barman.

The first stage of training consists of assessing the tasting abilities of the trainees and familiarising them with a range of flavours found in beer. The second stage trains them in the CAMRA system of beer styles, carrying out a tasting and recording tastings followed by profiling several beers from the bar and comparing the taste attributes found.

These tasters provide standardised, consistent and impartial tastings to nominate beers for CAMRA's Champion Beer of Britain competition and to provide tasting notes for beers in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide.

The preparation and training was carried out by me as Tasting Panel Chair. Here they are having a wonderful time!

Cheers, Steve Barber