Increased Drunkeness Means Less Taste?

I like to stock late night beers for mindless drinking. For one, I need to hover around 5.0% ABV if I'm going beyond 5 beers, and two - this is what Narragansett is made for

 

This happens to me once in a while. I find that when I get to the point after about 5 or 6 beers I won't drink the cheap stuff, I want the even better stuff. There have been a few times where this happened and I feel like I can not fairly review whatever I drank because it is not clear enough to me the next day, so I won't review that beer until I drink it again with a clear head and palate. So yes I do get a little frustrated about doing it but it doesn't happen that often.

 

You are describing palate fatigue. It's a fact of beer drinking. If you save your hoppiest beer for last you should be fine. I first noticed that as I made my way through several of the same DIPA in an evening that they became increasingly bitter and lost much of the other flavors.

 

Definitely palate fatigue. Since I love hoppy beers I do it the opposite of utopiajane. I enjoy my hoppy stuff first then go either junky or very malt forward beers. If you want to enjoy all of your beers take utopiajane's approach.

 

I agree with this. After i have a beer (or a few), when I'm thinking about what I want to drink next I always want something good/rare, never the cheap beers. I don't drink many hoppy beers but a bunch big stouts in a row and they all start to taste similar

 

If I'm being tasteless I've probably had too much to drink.

 

This is definitely a real problem for beer geeks.

Yesterday was a fully wife-sanctioned Epic Beer Day™, which involved a pub crawl with my brother in law and a couple of friends. In anticipation of this, I had my wife hide the Hill Farmstead bottles I've been saving.

 

Once I get to a certain point in my drinking, I start to crave & smoke cigs. Usually about 5-6 beers deep each night I start sparking up & I wanna tell ya, nothing kills your palate like cheap smokes.
So, different, but oddly similar problem.

 

The major factor in the dulling of your palate has more to do with overworking your tastebuds than the amount of alcohol unless what you are drinking has a strong alcohol burn/flavor. For example if you are drinking IPAs I'm surprised you think you can still taste the 3rd one let alone the 4th and 5th. Basically your taste buds are slowest to recover from hitting them over the head with flavors.

Also it doesn't actually require strong or intense flavors to get some carry over effects from even the first beer to the second one. Which is one reason that at well done tasting sessions you'll be offered unsalted crackers, etc. and lots of water to drink.

 

"We must study this."

 

On a more serious note, yep, I've been there too. I find this is true for both wine & beer, both of which are typically a fundamental 'shock' to the palate.

 

Seems to require an extended empirical test involving several styles of beer and multiple flavor profiles. :-)

 

Basically, add some unsalted crackers and give your palate more time between beers. Also if you are drinking multiple different beers order them from least impact to most impact on the palate. That way the effects are not so noticable.

 

I'm in.

Seems like the OP needs to run this test himself. Is it palate fatigue or drunkenness? You must find out FOR SCIENCE! Get back to us when you do.

I've experienced both. 5-6 beers in and I may as well be drinking Hamm's.

 

Haven't we all woke up, looked in the recycling bin and said "Oh F*&K me! I did not drink that insert whale here when I was all slapped up last night!"

 

I would argue palate fatigue, more than inebriation. So much deliciousness running over my taste buds for so long unfortunately begins to dull flavor. Although, remembering taste definitely gets foggier as I go, as well.

 

Two or three Sierra Nevada Pale Ales, or eight, they all taste quite nicely.