Some beers you could hold against a book and still be able to read it. Some are very noticeable e.g. a stout smells like coffee, and a cherry lambic smells like, well cherries. Some, usually lagers, are not so noticeable. If it s clean and fresh that s a malty nose. If it s sharp and bracing that s the hops.
All beers contain both.
Does it wash straight to the back of your mouth like a soda water, or does it cling to the sides and coat your tongue. Let the beer sit at the tip for a while, then swill it around the middle. Take a while before taking another sip. I have to admit that although I try to cover every area, occasionally I do forget to take a good look at the color or get a good whiff. The important part is that you try to take as much of this into consideration as possible.