Body

Body describes how full or heavy a drink feels in the mouth. A distinction is made, for example, between light, medium and full body. It is influenced by alcohol, extract, sugar, tannins and glycerol.

A slim wine or beer feels rather watery and refreshing, a full-bodied one dense and substantial. Body is a stylistic feature: it should suit the type of drink and be in balance with acidity, sweetness and aroma. It is closely related to mouthfeel but refers more to weight.