The Order

when i have a number of new beers over a few days, or at a tasting, i try to differentiate between them with my ratings even if differences are small. i suppose some beers would get rated higher or lower as a result.

 

Think I'm covered since I've been drinking only one beer a week lately.

 

I'll add medications and dentures to that as well. The missus has dentures and she has become incredibly more sensitive to bitter. No idea how that works - maybe the taste sense has been muted overall and bitter stands out more. Possibly the dentures affect the ability to detect the volatile flavors/aromas we normally "smell" during tasting.

We've both experienced altered perception of taste and smell due to some medications as well. Thankfully short term, but we've noticed it several times.

 

I had a partial plate for awhile until I got implants, and having the plastic covering part of the roof of my mouth did definitely mute the complexity of my taste a noticeable amount.

 

All else being equal, drinking a strongly flavored beer before a lighter one will absolutely affect how you taste the second - be it a hop bomb IPA (NE or otherwise) a big stout, (BBA or otherwise,) or a rauchbier, then going to a light Pils or Helles, you're not going to taste as much of the second one.
Drink the lighter one first, then the bigger, that way you'll get a lot more of the lighter.

 

At the risk of sounding flaky, I think mood, activity, weather, etc. influence the taste of a beer as much as some other factors. I don’t think my go to IPA (Ransack The Universe) tastes the same on a -20 degree day in February as it does after yard work or a bike ride on a 30 degree day in July. Although, maybe, that’s just my wife’s yoga and meditation mindset rubbing off on me. Cheers.

 

It all depends on whether you've changed your underwear recently.

 

This thread is fun. I don’t know anybody that likes beer though.

 

If you are going to do multiple beer reviews, IMO always have any light malty lagers or low hopped pale ales etc prior to really hoppy IPAs or high ABV beers of any style. High ABV beers seem immune in where in an order to drink them (to me anyway), but ligher ABV beers will seem like they lack both body and flavor if you sample them after more "extreme" beer styles. Haven't quite figured out where funky/sours fit in the mix of sampling order however.

There have been many lagers/pale ales that I thought as a 1 and done review were really grainy/full bodied/malty etc. But following a BA quad or stout etc....same beer felt like drinking water almost.

 

Alright @GetMeAnIPA you idea popped into my head today. We had salad for dinner tonight (yes we eat super early for dinner I know). But...it’s all fresh veggies and a vinaigrette dressing. I was like man a pils would go so well with this. It was perfect, acidity and brightness form the salad. Then a sip of refreshing crisp clean lager was a match made in heaven. I’m gonna start pairing more often now.