Beginner's Brews: Is there a first step for Palate Development?

If like me you are obsessive-compulsive, go to this link and get a copy of the BJCP style guidelines:
http://www.bjcp.org/stylecenter.php
Get some of the commercial examples for the style and sample them while reading the style descriptors and see if you pick up on the same things.

Then drink a lot of beer. When people wonder what your are doing, say "research"

 

You'd have to drink in wretched excess to develop your pallet.

 

Try everything under the sun... Read a lot...Eventually your going to like everything.. Somehow it just happens, then all of a sudden your you've got a roundish belly and your chasing whalzebro on the trade forum, taking your girlfriend to what they think are nice vacations but are really just spots for you to pick up beer.

"Hey hun you want to take a cute ski trip and stay in a cabin"

"Yea!"

"Great, Stowe mountains only a 7 hour drive!"

 

If you want to expand/develop/stretch your palate--and there's nothing that says you have to, btw--just drink beer. Seems simple, but really that's all there is to it.

Some people like to deep dive on a few preferred styles and taste all the different takes and variations on that style or similar styles. Others like to do a shallower look at a broad range of styles and flavors. And some like to do some combination of both--diving deep on certain styles while continuing to seek out and learn about things that are less familiar to them.

All of these approaches will develop your palate as it compiles a taste "library" to compare and contrast flavors and smells. Honestly, the only thing that may not help your palate much is if you drink the exact same beer all the time, and I'm pretty sure even that will have some effect, just maybe not as drastic.

 

I started by putting together mixed six packs of random beers at a bottle shop. I disliked several of them but kept trying different ones and eventually found myself craving beers that I hated initially.

The only beer I liked in my first mix a six was vanilla java porter by Atwater brewery, so the next time I went I got things that said porter or stout. Some of them happened to be RISs and Imperials, I had no idea what that meant but they said porter or stout so I picked it up. I was unpleasantly surprised and some ended up in the drain. After that, I found this site and learned about different styles and kept trying different stuff. My palate developed over time.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Beer-Insiders-Worlds-Greatest/dp/1603420894

Pick up this book, "Tasting Beer" by Randy Mosher. Drink while you read!

Oh yeah, and try to avoid trying every highly rated IPA. You'll learn how to pick out different hop varieties (and probably skip English/German ones altogether)......and that's about it.

 

You just need to drink more, and in great variety. For hoppy beers, know the kinds of hops that are in them so you somewhat know what flavors to look for.

 

I highly recommend that you watch beer video reviews from The Girl Next Door.

Permit me to serve up one for your viewing and learning pleasure:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-...82837&v=8lffZRRA6Fw&feature=player_detailpage

 

Definitely drink and taste as many different beer styles as you can, and make small notes on the ones you find interesting. The BJCP website listed above also has a free app that's really convenient if you want to see how the beer you're drinking conforms to typical style guidelines, or just research in your spare time.

Another huge thing that I've done recently to develop my wine palate, but which is just as important with beer, is to cook at home and try to taste as many natural fruits, spices, etc. as possible. This helps you refresh the taste notes you keep in your head. If that seems tedious, just think of it as improving your food life as well. Enjoy it!

 

Here's what I did, and I strongly recommend it.

Practice reviewing beer. It forces you to commit to words what are only vague ideas floating around inside your head (literally and figuratively). But here's my special scheme.

1.) Review a beer to the best of your ability only drinking less than half of it.

2.) When you're done, post your review, and then sort the reviews by "top raters". Read a few of those, who allegedly have done this a few more times than you, and pay attention to what they are describing. I have found that certain words and phrases will pop up that more accurately capture a nuanced flavor, or even an essence I totally over-looked.

I found this to be a great way to expand my palate, which is really expanding your vocabulary.

 

Yep. That about sums it up.
And BTW, that avatar is just outstanding.

 

Everything is subjective and I believe palates change over time. I drank certain beers years ago, thought they had specific flavors, and then drank them again recently and my perceptions about the flavors changed. Anyway, what really helped me, just as many people said, was to drink many different kinds of beers, explore the complexities and flavor profile of each. I also read a good book (and many of you have heard of it, I'm sure) "Tasting Beer" by Randy Mosher. That book really helped me develop in-depth insights in relation to beer flavors, style complexities, etc.

Thanks, Mr. Mosher for an enlightening read.