Imperial/IBU palate syndrome

I've been feeling the same way lately - so much so that I decided to fast from beer for a few weeks as a way of "resetting" my palate. Not only do I need bigger, hoppier, hotter, maltier beers, but it's starting to spill over into everything I consume. Food needs to be spicier, saltier, earthier. I can't enjoy a low ABV pale for what it is right now, and need to drink three or four before my body realizes "wow, I'm drinking a beer".

 

Well the "Imperial" versions of beers are just that, custom made to be much more full and flavorful than a standard version of the style. But yes, this does happen every now and again to me. I usually have to pace myself or sometimes even take a break from big beers or beer all together for a little while.

 

Lay off of them for a few weeks. Stick to AIPA and Oatmeal Stouts.

Here's my latest blog on the subject:

http://theschnucksdifference.com/Blog/?Category=Beer

 

I CAN TOTALLY RELATE!! I cannot get away from those kind of beers, I find that drinking all that stuff has ruined beers that I actually used to like, tends to taste watery and smell rusty to me. I found a great alternative was scotch style ales, they often vary in ABV but they seem to satisfy without being Imperial or Doubled in Hops, one that is local here in AZ is Four peaks Kiltlifter, not sure if you can get it in TX, but its about 6% and full flavored due to the heavy malt emphasis, try something like that.

 

Definitely has happened to me. After I finish off what I currently possess I am going to take a break from DIPAs.

 

I'm basically cutting back on my DIPAs and RISs and going back to regular plain ol' porters. Gotta ease myself back into the summertime drinking mode- hefeweizens and APAs to name a few of my favorite summer styles.

 

I've had my palate destroyed by big beers in the last two years or so. I remember back in the day thinking "damn, i'd like a Dale's, but i don't want that much hop". What ive done to counteract this is still buying the big beers as i normally would, but sticking them in my closet instead of popping them right away. Go back and check out some classic styles. I've been drinking more kolsh, rauchbier, berliner weisses, and pilsners recently. The feel that the subtleties in those beers are helping develop my palate much more than drinking big ass kickers with very few subtleties. There's only so many ways that an imperial stout with chocolate, coffee and bourbon barrel notes can be interpreted.

 

Totally agree. I've only been drinking craft for about two years but I immediately went to imperials. Regular beers just seem, well, regular.
For me personally, the sign of a really good "regular" beer with an average alcohol content is that I will drink it and don't wish it was an imperial. Imperial taste without imperial alcohol content.
But yeah, I feel ya!!

 

I like Allagash Black and Cadillac Mountain Stout to ease into the lighter stouts. Black has a lot of flavor, but is more rounded; softer.

Cadillac has that black patent and chocolate malt punch, but not so much of the hops. Easy to drink.

 

perhaps slightly different but i found a couple of times i was drinking a new (to me) stout & been like: if only this was a little heftier or richer etc, this would be slamming ...only to realize & then properly rationalize - wait a minute, this is a regular ole' 6% stout, not an impy. then admit to myself, in the regular stout community this shhhhh is rockin'. i feel like the impy exposure & factor fiddled with my expectations & perceptions.

 

That thought definitely came to mind last night as I drank a 100 IBU Imperial IPA. I convinced myself it may have just sat on the shelf too long and lost some of that hop goodness. Reality is most standard IPA's don't do it for me anymore.

Luckily, I don't have that problem with Lagers, stouts, porters etc. Maltier is still enjoyable, so long as Caramel and Crystal is not present.

 

I have found that people who like the bigger stuff generally have sweet thooths. You can just as intense of flavors with smaller beers but you wont get the sugary sweetness.

 

I totally relate to this problem especially with porters used to enjoy to stouts I've had and regular IPAs to DIPAs and imperials. My suggestion is to mix it up recently I've been trying to mix in some lagers, saisons, or hefts/wheat beers in the mix to get myself to remember lighter beer doesn't necessarily mean less taste. Then again I look at my ratings and that doesn't follow, its an ongoing problem

 

Schnuks Beer Guy? Nice!

Have to check them out the next time I'm back in St. Lou.

 

The worst part about IPS is that is results in countless "X beer is less (descriptor) than it used to be", and dummies thinking a brewer changed a recipe.