Are You a Supertaster?

Within the context of my job I am a supertaster. We were all screened for attribute tasting associated with the products we make and my score was in the top three out of about 300 people and I was classified with the SuperTasters so now I get to taste more things (not always good, either). Surprised the heck out of me, I will say. This included the "normal" taste/aroma attributes of the products as well as detecting/identifying off flavors/aromas, then ranking the strength of all these things things in order. I think this highlights the point about training raised by Dennoman. After 32 years of OJT and a couple of official training sessions, I better be able to taste something. I can go from our fruit products to wine pretty easily and find similarities - lots of common ground. But.....

When it comes to beer, my poor little taste buds revert to Clark Kent. I can identify and isolate flavors most of the time, but it is much harder. It is also difficult to find the right descriptors. Like "I can taste something but can't quite put my finger on what it is", more or less. Not that I can find every nuance, but at least some I can pick out. Once I learn what a flavor might be, I can usually find it again. Definitely not all of the time, but can see progress in learning as I taste different things and build a bigger frame of reference. Not that I am doing it consciously, it is just happening. Home brewing helps - having the raw ingredients to smell and taste has helped me pick things out at least with the grain and hops. Yeast contribution - whole 'nother ball game and mostly clueless.

 

I am a supertaster and I've noticed a couple things. 1) I don't distinguish beer better than others, specifically others who are experienced beer drinkers. Maybe it's because I'm still new to beer, but I figured that being a supertaster (and being very good at picking out flavors in everyday foods) I'd be a good beer taster - this hasn't come to fruition yet. 2) IPAs/DIPAs were really hard for me to get into and I HATED them at first (normally if I didn't like a beer, I didn't necessarily hate it - just didn't like it). I like a lot of them now, but the bitterness is something I'm not used to and often times I have to drink the IPAs/DIPAs with a glass of water next to me. Also 3) I have also never been able to stomach the taste of coffee or other fancy/heavy beverages, and perhaps that is why I don't find most porters/stouts to be very palatable.

 

I know a person who is a super taster. She tastes coffee beans for a living. Her favorite beer is hill farmstead edward.

 

I'm definitely not a supertaster considering when I was in Bruges a couple years ago (the trip the spurned my craft beer obsession), one of the locals I was chatting up had me try a Gueze. My reaction was "that's sweet," and I was told "No! It's sour."

 

No.

 

I'm not sure if I'm a supertaster, but I've definitely always been a superSMELLER (you'd think the two would be synonomous). For years, every time someone in my family is cooking something, I've been able to detect the slightest hint of the aroma no matter how far away I am from the source, while everyone else smells nothing. Also, most of the times I've tasted a beer with others, I generally pick up on more complex aromas than everyone else. Kinda weird.

 

I can taste great, but I can't smell half of the things people describe. Much less can I smell an IPA or DIPA "fill a room" ever. Is this true or exaggeration? Most of the time I have to jam my nose in the glass to smell anything.

 

Nope. If anything I undertaste because I have so many damned issues with sinuses draining and whatnot, especially at this time of year.

 

I have definitely smelled IPA's from across the room, not an exaggeration

 

I enjoyed reading the list of things supertasters don't like, and noting that I hate half of them and love the other half. Inconclusive I suppose? Olives are the worst for me, I think a dirty martini tastes like a mouthful of ocean water.

 

I've been tested for this and apparently I am a supertaster. It actually sucks to be one but thanks to my strict Presbyterian upbringing I was NEVER allowed not to like certain foods despite being as picky as f*ck as a kid. EVER. As a result I grew to tolerate and even love many of the foods that supertasters supposedly hate. And thanks to my re programmed palate I even got to like the hated grapefruit. Luckily this led to my great beer love : 100+ IBU Imperial IPAs.

Thank you John Knox.

 

An employee of GMCR perhaps?

 

Idk where do I get a litmus test to find out?

 

neat finding this. i'm a supertaster. it hasnt really affected my taste for beer as far as i can tell. some things i like, some i dont. just like everyone else, my taste preferences too are unique. it's hard to quantify a psychological process into 1s and 0s so i dont give much thought to how being a supertaster is affecting the taste of beer beer. i just drink it.

 

I've smoked cigarettes in the past as well as had my nose broken a couple times. I'm also prone to sinus infections. I'm lucky I can taste anything.

 

I feel like this is just another way for BA's to self diagnose and pat themselves on the back. You don't have to be a supertaster to enjoy good beer.

 

Nope, very average. Somewhat glad because there's some baggage that comes along with being one of those super tasters

 

Just a regular guy with regular tasting ability and far too much time on his hands.

 

From that Wiki page:
Although individual food preference for supertasters cannot be typified, documented examples for either lessened preference or consumption include:

• Certain alcoholic beverages[16]
• Coffee[18]
• Grapefruit juice[19]
• Carbonation in drinks such as in soda, beer, etc.

Sort'a narrows down some of what we enjoy.