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Beer Flavor Wheel

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Beer Flavor Wheel is a terminology system for naming beer flavors systematically. Developed by a joint subcommittee of the European Brewery Convention and the American Society of Brewing Chemists, it groups taste and aroma characteristics into classes and primary and secondary terms.

On this page (5 sections)
  1. Overview
  2. Sources for this overview (1)
  3. Topic hubs
  4. Related entries (10)
  5. Sensory (3)
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Reading the bitterness

The international beer-flavor terminology published in 1979 by the sensory-analysis subcommittee of the European Brewery Convention (EBC) and the American Society of Brewing Chemists (ASBC) comprises 14 classes, 44 primary terms, and 78 secondary terms. In a diagram reproduced in a 1982 paper, the primary bitterness term 『1200 BITTER』 is class 12, a class separate from sweetness, saltiness, mouthfeel, and others.

A paper by the same research team specifying reference substances for the system selected Isolone (an isohumulone preparation made by Kalsec) as the bitterness reference, reporting that it 『gave a typical bitter flavor with a minimum of other flavors』. Its table gives two thresholds for this reference: 7.3 mg/L in the Difference Rating Test (collaborator C-22, 16 tasters) and 5.7 mg/L in the A.S.T.M. Ascending Method of Limits Test (collaborator C-22, 18 tasters), with the note 『Three tests, unhopped beer』.

Sources for this overview

  1. Reference Standards for Beer Flavor Terminology System

    M. C. Meilgaard; D. S. Reid; K. A. Wyborski / 1982 / journal article / full text checked

    Checked for this overview: Used the system’s composition and the position of BITTER. / Used verbatim the description of the bitterness reference substance. / Used the threshold figures shown in the table.

Structured claims — open a section to read each claim's confidence, evidence and limits

Sensory (3)

Beer Flavor Wheel is listed as: 『In 1979 (11), the Subcommittees on Sensory Analysis of the European Brewery Convention and the American Society of Brewing Chemists published the International Flavor Terminology System. As illustrated in Fig. 1, this has 14 classes, 44 first-tier terms and (not shown) 78 second-tier terms.』 In the reproduction of Fig. 1, the term 『1200 BITTER』 is positioned as class 12, a first-tier term alongside 10 SWEET, 11 SALTY, 13 MOUTHFEEL, and others.supported

Scope: Meilgaard, Reid & Wyborski (1982), Fig. 1, 『The Flavor Wheel, showing class terms and first-tier terms.』

Note: The body text of the original 1979 paper itself (Meilgaard, Dalgliesh & Clapperton, J. Am. Soc. Brew. Chem. 37:42-52) was not checked directly. Confirmed as a reproduction of the figure in the 1982 paper.

The 1979 international beer flavor terminology system comprises 14 classes, 44 first-tier terms, and 78 second-tier terms, and in the reproduced figure, 『1200 BITTER』 is shown as the 12th class (『12. BITTER』).
Limitations: The body text of the 1979 original paper itself was not checked. What was confirmed is the reproduction and summary of the figure in the 1982 paper.
Source: Reference Standards for Beer Flavor Terminology System (M. C. Meilgaard; D. S. Reid; K. A. Wyborski, 1982) · full text checked
Show dataconcept-beer-flavor-wheel —is_listed_as→ "『In 1979 (11), the Subcommittees on Sensory Analysis of the European Brewery Convention and the American Society of Brewing Chemists published the International Flavor Terminology System. As illustrated in Fig. 1, this has 14 classes, 44 first-tier terms and (not shown) 78 second-tier terms.』 In the reproduction of Fig. 1, the term 『1200 BITTER』 is positioned as class 12, a first-tier term alongside 10 SWEET, 11 SALTY, 13 MOUTHFEEL, and others."
claim: clm-w59d-beerwheel-structure / type: sensory / updated: 2026-09-04
Beer Flavor Wheel is defined as "1200 BITTER. The preparation Isolone® (Kalsec Inc., Kalamazoo, MI 49005) gave a typical bitter flavor with a minimum of other flavors. Thresholds were normally distributed."supported

Scope: Meilgaard, Reid & Wyborski (1982), "Individual Standards," the 1200 BITTER entry

Adopted the iso-humulone-type preparation Isolone (Kalsec Inc.) as the bitter reference substance, and reported that it "gave a typical bitter flavor with a minimum of other flavors" and that "Thresholds were normally distributed."
Limitations: The paper as a whole reports on the selection of 27 reference substances; the detailed statistical treatment specific to Bitter alone remains a brief description.
Source: Reference Standards for Beer Flavor Terminology System (M. C. Meilgaard; D. S. Reid; K. A. Wyborski, 1982) · full text checked
Show dataconcept-beer-flavor-wheel —is_defined_as→ ""1200 BITTER. The preparation Isolone® (Kalsec Inc., Kalamazoo, MI 49005) gave a typical bitter flavor with a minimum of other flavors. Thresholds were normally distributed.""
claim: clm-w59d-beerwheel-bitter-standard / type: sensory / updated: 2026-09-04
Beer Flavor Wheel is documented as having 『1200 Bitter / Isohumulone (Kalsec Isolone) / Threshold: 7.3 mg/L』 (collaborator C-22, 16 panelists) and 『5.7 mg/L』 (collaborator C-22, 18 panelists, noted as 『Three tests, unhopped beer』). As the group thresholds for the bitterness reference substance isohumulone, 7.3 mg/L and 5.7 mg/L are reported across the two test methods.supported

Scope: Meilgaard, Reid & Wyborski (1982) Table II

Note: Measured using the A.S.T.M. Ascending Method of Limits. Panel size 16-18 panelists.

The 1200 Bitter row of Table II: sample 『Isohumulone (Kalsec Isolone)』, threshold 『7.3 mg/L』 (Difference Rating Test, collaborator C-22, 16 tasters), followed by the next row 『Same』, threshold 『5.7 mg/L』 (A.S.T.M. Ascending Method of Limits Test, collaborator C-22, 18 tasters, noted 『Three tests, unhopped beer』).
Limitations: The full text does not give details of the beer brand or brewing conditions used.
Source: Reference Standards for Beer Flavor Terminology System (M. C. Meilgaard; D. S. Reid; K. A. Wyborski, 1982) · full text checked
Show dataconcept-beer-flavor-wheel —is_documented_as_having→ "『1200 Bitter / Isohumulone (Kalsec Isolone) / Threshold: 7.3 mg/L』 (collaborator C-22, 16 panelists) and 『5.7 mg/L』 (collaborator C-22, 18 panelists, noted as 『Three tests, unhopped beer』). As the group thresholds for the bitterness reference substance isohumulone, 7.3 mg/L and 5.7 mg/L are reported across the two test methods."
claim: clm-w59d-beerwheel-bitter-threshold / type: sensory / updated: 2026-09-04

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