Over the past months, I’ve been working on GlobalBeerIndex (GBI) as an exploration into structured sensory modelling for beer styles.
The aim is simple, but not trivial: to describe and compare beer styles in a consistent way, without relying on ratings, popularity, or subjective scoring.
Beer is often discussed in rich but loosely defined language. That expressiveness is part of its appeal, but it also makes structured comparison difficult — especially when moving beyond individual tasting notes toward styles, families, and broader sensory patterns.
GlobalBeerIndex approaches this problem from a modelling perspective.
At the core of GBI is:
- a fixed 15-element sensory model
- formally defined beer styles (including core styles and variants)
- a transparent mapping between sensory dimensions, technical parameters, and style definitions
The goal is not to reduce beer to numbers, but to provide
stable reference points that make exploration, comparison, and learning easier — particularly for people who prefer structure over opinion.
The Explorer
The first concrete output of this work is the
GBI Explorer.
The Explorer allows users to:
- browse beer styles based on sensory structure
- compare styles side by side
- see how flavour structure, aroma balance, and technical context relate to one another
Rather than asking “Which beer is better?”, the Explorer focuses on:
- How are styles different?
- Where do they overlap?
- What sensory expectations does a style imply?
This makes it useful not only for enthusiasts, but also for educational and professional contexts where shared language and consistency matter.
What I’ve learned so far
One of the more interesting aspects of this project has been working at the intersection of two very different domains:
- structured modelling and analysis on the one hand
- sensory perception, which is inherently subjective, on the other
Tasting does not come naturally to me in an intuitive sense. What I have found, however, is that with a clear framework and consistent reference points, sensory evaluation becomes something you can reason about, practice, and improve — rather than something purely instinctive.
That tension between structure and perception is exactly what keeps this project engaging.
Where this is going
GlobalBeerIndex is very much a work in progress.
The current focus is on:
- refining the sensory model
- expanding and validating style coverage
- improving clarity and usability of the Explorer
Over time, this foundation can support a range of use cases — from education and training to more advanced comparative and analytical tools.
For now, the emphasis remains on building a solid, transparent base before layering on anything else.
Summary
This update marks a small but important milestone: moving from exploration to something concrete and usable. There is still a lot to improve, but the foundation now feels solid enough to build on.