Bitterness - A mellow or sharp bite which offsets the beers sweetness. A beer without bitterness would be sweet and undrinkable. Color - The types of grain used to dictatew the color of the beer. Some grains are highly roasted and give a coffee like flavor and color while some grains are lightly roasted and give the beer amber or brown colors. Hops - The flower of the hop vine.
Hops contribute bitterness and floral aroma to beer.
IBUs - International Bitterness Units. The standard by which bitterness is measured. Large domestic beers are hopped to around 10 IBUs, barely above the flavor threshold. A heavily hopped beer, such as our pale ale measures around 40 IBUs. Malted Barley - Seeds of the barley plant that have been germinated to the point of sprouting roots.