It's the astonishing range of flavours and aromas that make us fall in love with beers. Each of the four principal ingredients – malt, hops, water and yeast – offer an infinite range of aromas and tastes, and that's before we add in the fruits, herbs and spices. It's a complex beast so we're sharing something we find handy to organise our thoughts.

PALE/LAGER MALT
Grain, husky, straw-like, biscuit, cereal, honey, sweetness

DARKER MALTS
Chocolate, caramel, vanilla, coffee, leather, liquorice, nut, raisin, roasted grain, smoke, toast, tobacco, toffee.

OTHER CEREALS
Oats, whipping cream, chestnut, hazelnut, spices.

HOPS
Citrus fruit, earthiness, flowers, wine fruits, bitterness, grass, herbs, orchard fruit, pepper, pine, tropical fruit.

YEAST
Alcohol, almond, apple, banana, cloves, warmth, sherry.

SUGAR
Molasses, brown sugar, caramel.

WATER
Chalk, crispiness, dryness, minerals, salt, sulphur, sweetness.

WOOD AGING
Vanilla, acidity, cane sugar, whisky, oak, sourness, spirit.