COVID and its impact on your palate

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by johnInLA, Jul 30, 2023.

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  1. johnInLA

    johnInLA Pooh-Bah (2,350) Jun 12, 2005 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I recently contracted covid19 for the first time. It has impacted my sense of taste and smell. as a Beer Advocate my ability to rate a beer depends highly on my sense of taste and smell. My ability to taste has been compromised. My understanding is that Covid19 attacks the cells surrounding the "taste" nerves that allow us to taste, rather than the nerves themselves. So, most of us recover. But in doing so the damage results in a period of time with compromised sense of taste and smell. Most people recover in a few months.

    My experience is that I have mostly lost my ability to taste sour and sweet This week I tried a beer I know is sour and tased Vanilla, Lemon. bitterness, but no sourness. The favors I taste were all part of the beer, but it was a kettle sour. So I should have tased sourness.

    I continue to test my palate; I find that beer is tasting beer different. I refuse to rate anything. under this compromise condition, but admit it seems to allow me to taste beers with an unseal perspective. Primarily my ability to taste sweet and sour is compromised. Not sure what to make of it. But I'm finding it interesting.

    I would love to hear from others that have had their taste and smell compromised from covid, and it impact on your beer advocacy.

    To be clear this thread should not be a political conversation. I do not care about your political view covid, just if you have had it, if it has compromised your sense of taste and smell , and how that has impacted your beer advocacy.
     
    #1 johnInLA, Jul 30, 2023
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  2. Resistance88

    Resistance88 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,462) Apr 9, 2015 California
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Good Luck, it was a nightmare for me

    all Coffee, my armpits (even after Bathing), sewers and some mests had the most rancid smell for months afterwards.

    Even beer wasn't as pleasurable to drink even till this point. Read for some it takes months, years to get smell and taste back.

    What i did was drink more bourbon . It's much better than beer anyway so win win
     
    #2 Resistance88, Jul 30, 2023
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  3. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
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    I had relatively muted senses of taste and smell before I got it. I had a mild case and got back to my normal fairly quickly.
     
    #3 BBThunderbolt, Jul 30, 2023
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  4. chrisjws

    chrisjws Grand Pooh-Bah (3,302) Dec 3, 2014 California
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    I got the 'vid twice in January 2020 and December 2022, neither time it impacted my taste. Guess I'm one of the lucky ones.
     
    #4 chrisjws, Jul 30, 2023
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  5. LesDewitt4beer

    LesDewitt4beer Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,315) Jan 25, 2021 Minnesota
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    I had covid for xmas & new years 8 months back. My sense of taste & smell were temporarily compromised. Like, totally knocked out. Almost gone...but not quite! And that gave me hope. As confused as my body was in the sensory dept, I forged ahead and didn't stop eating the things I love even though I couldn't taste them. Plus I got some inexpensive aroma therapy oils to whiff a few times per day to re-introduce and excite the memory of scent. Patchouli, lavender, eucalyptus, orange sweet, different citrus rinds/zest. Within 2-3 weeks I was back to normal. Covid stuns our taste and smell so stay on top of it because I know a number of people whose sense of taste & smell have been severely and permanently affected. Hope this helps.
     
    #5 LesDewitt4beer, Jul 30, 2023
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  6. scott451

    scott451 Pooh-Bah (2,694) Apr 2, 2009 Canada (ON)
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    I got it about a year ago. a fairly mild case, but bad enough to be off work for a week. I don't recall any smell or taste impairment, and I was looking for it. Even without covid there is a wide variation in peoples taste abilities. My daughter can't taste bitter, a common genetic variation. that many people don't know that they have. To her IPAs just taste like fruity drinks.
     
    #6 scott451, Jul 30, 2023
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  7. VodkaPong87

    VodkaPong87 Pooh-Bah (2,060) Oct 9, 2020 Connecticut
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    I lost my smell/taste for about 18 hours when I first got it about 2 years ago. I think it has slightly impacted my senses ever since. Beer doesn’t seem to be as impactful, but only a small amount. Maybe 5-10% less. I have noticed that I pick up a very unpleasant aftertaste in a lot of new Tree House IPAs now. It could be their brewing process, but it could also be a long term side effect
     
    #7 VodkaPong87, Jul 30, 2023
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  8. bbtkd

    bbtkd Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,790) Sep 20, 2015 South Dakota
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    I got it a year ago, and noted no difference in smell/taste. My sense of smell already sucked due to months of daily exposure to solvents and other chemicals when I was 18.
     
    #8 bbtkd, Jul 30, 2023
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  9. woemad

    woemad Grand Pooh-Bah (5,601) Jun 8, 2003 Washington
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    My brush with covid hasn't seemed to have left me with any long-term issues.
     
    #9 woemad, Jul 31, 2023
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  10. SaCkErZ9

    SaCkErZ9 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,057) Feb 27, 2005 South Carolina
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    I was lucky to escape relatively unscathed. I lost my sense of smell for about three weeks back in Nov 2020 but that was the only ill effect. I was lethargic another week or so but I fared much better than others. In fact, I had a cold this last weekend and that was the first time I had been sick since Nov 2020.
     
    #10 SaCkErZ9, Aug 1, 2023
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  11. DavyJonesXXX

    DavyJonesXXX Pooh-Bah (2,848) Aug 6, 2021 Texas
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    Had it over a month ago and it wrecked my palate hard. Still not the same but it's getting better thankfully. I just said fuck it and started drinking Modelo for awhile. No sense in wasting $ at breweries or craft shops, although with my senses returning I'm wanting to venture out to all my favorite stops again.
     
    #11 DavyJonesXXX, Aug 1, 2023
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  12. ramseye4

    ramseye4 Maven (1,392) May 14, 2010 Virginia

    Mine was out completely for a week or so both times. Returned pretty quickly, but I never had a great sense of smell to begin with
     
    #12 ramseye4, Aug 4, 2023
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