Introducing Cyclops
Looking at ways to combat the down turn of real ale sales, we have designed a simple form of tasting notes to help educate both customers and bar staff about ale.
By providing easy to understand information on real ale, the Cyclops tasting notes educate people about the different types of ale available and the difference in taste between different brands, helping customers to decide what to drink, and aiding bar staff to help them choose.
So what is Cyclops?
Cyclops tasting notes contain three basic elements:
- The Cyclops Scale
- The Bitter/Sweet Scale
- A list of primary ingredients
The Cyclops scale
The Cyclops scale is a simplified version of the traditional tasting notes. A three or four word description of the look, smell and taste of the ale will help drinkers to make a more informed choice about which ale to buy.
Bitter/sweet scale
The bitter/sweet scale measures the amount of bitterness and sweetness you would taste in the beer on a scale of 0.5 to 5. The scale helps attract new drinkers who are put off by the term ‘bitter’ also helps regular drinkers to identify the type of ales they like and encourages them to try different brands that have a similar bitter/sweet scale.
Primary ingredients
The primary ingredients list helps to educate drinkers about what goes into beer they drink. By listing the malt and hops, beers can be compared and drinkers can become more knowledgeable about the products they enjoy.
Spreading the word
The idea behind Cyclops is to increase all ale sales, not just Everards, and we have been working with CAMRA to introduce Cyclops to other breweries. To date, over 65 breweries have signed up to use the scheme.