Palate Wrecked

You followed the instructions on your avatar too closely.

 

I might be buzzed and all but this shit ain't making no sense.

 

Interesting. Makes sense, but I have never thought of it.

Beyond the obvious of having a cold, I generally only experience palate fatigue, but I notice my preferences cycle - sour to stout to IPA. After a week of IPA's the hops aren't refreshing and bright anymore (just harsh) and then I take a break and a week later they taste great again.

I have also noticed that physical tiredness makes beer taste crap - if I have worked out hard that evening, even if I am well hydrated it is like my taste buds reject the beer. I always figured it was my body telling me it didn't want any alcohol!

 

Biff?

 

I wonder if this would work with gin...

 

It certainly makes sense. Chlorine has to destroy your sense of smell. I know if I get in a pool I smell chlorine for hours afterward. Since so much of our sense of taste is actually smell it would make sense that the beer's taste would suffer too.

 

Any brewers out there? How about a chlorine resistant beer?

 

Cadaver Lab definitely affected my sense of smell, not to mention I smelled terrible for the 2.5 months we were dissecting

 

Another good way to dull your taste and be unable to assess your like/dislike is to go to a beerfest. After about 5 or so samples, it becomes tough to judge (or stop). You'd need to give your palate a rest for a while before trying more (but screw that, you're there to drink!). Might help if you stuck to a type rather than mixing sours, stouts, IPSs, etc.

 

I've definitely found out the hard way that beer and a stuffy nose from a cold don't mix. Had a glass of Pilsner Urquell last winter that ended up tasting like green grapes and alcohol, nothing resembling malt at all (and how much alcohol I tasted was utterly bizarre as I normally don't get any hint of alcohol in that beer!)

Haven't tried beer after swimming in a chlorine-y pool, but I'll have to remember that for... whenever I end up having a vacation to someplace with a pool, I guess.

 

I have had no sense of smell for the past 10 or so years thanks to nasal polyps. I get absolutely nothing from the aroma of a beer and depend on the intensity of the flavor itself. I feel that after years and years of drinking craft beer i've almost developed a sixth sense for distinguishing types of hops and malts and various ingredients. I have sort of an after taste/ behind the nasal passage sense of "smell" and flavor profile recognition that is super hard to describe.

Kind of like when you eat an intense food and the essence of it sticks with you all day. Anyways, long story short, i'm sure i'm missing out on a lot from lack of smell but I still feel like all quality beers have enough going on so that they're still very enjoyable in many different ways.

 

Why?

 

Every beer share I've had that involved more than about 4 bombers involved a wrecked palate and reduced senses. It's essentially a proxy for exposure to chlorine. Except you act way stupider and wake up with a pounding headache.

 

For God (and Beer's) sake...




...stop swimming!

 

Natty Light.

Tastes really good after chlorine has destroyed your senses.

 

I had a cold last year that knocked out my sense of smell for a good month. I was miserable. Couldn't taste anything. Also for me allergies can wreak havoc. Ears popping and eyes watering usually means no sense of smell either.

 

If you're in cadaver lab and reek of formaldehyde, you might enjoy Budweiser Chelada...it's got a flavour profile that would pair beautifully with one's odor.

 

A friend has a saltwater pool. Probably a better idea for you.