Day to day palate change?

Good point on the allergy and sinus problems. I have both and when I try and describe a beer I usually skip the nose part because it takes a super fragrant beer to show up. Ears nose throat they’re all connected, and it’s not a stretch to assume it can and does change taste and nose profiles. I’ve had beers from the same six that I was all over the place on too, sometimes it was good, sometimes not.

 

Personally, I think that beers from the same 4pk or 6pk taste different, often. I also think "classic" beers (think Bernardus ABT12, La Fin Du Monde, etc) are amazing one time I buy them, then a year later they are snoozers, and also vice versa. I'd probably feel the same about random other beers too, but I only really re-buy the classics.

There are a TON of variables in excitement, palate, mood, expectation... lots of factors.


If you're trying to "be a pro" the only way to taste is blind (ideally double blind so not knowing what is in the glass or even what was in the fridge that it could be chosen from) and use something like the (wine) WSET 3 systematic tasting grid (I am personally more familiar with wine than beer but I believe BJCP has a similar system). https://www.wsetglobal.com/media/3119/wset_l3_wines_sat_en_jun-2016.pdf

Not that you can't just "like" or "not like", or throw between 0 and 5 stars on a beer in an app, but if you want to be serous about tasting, you have to have a system and these kind of systems walk you through your evaluation. If a beer or wine is well made, and is expressive and intense, you should objectively be rating it highly, even if subjectively you don't "like" the style. Again I have more experience with wine, but a real wine lover doesn't "not like" riesling or CA cab or Barossa Shiraz. What you are tasting might not be what you would personally pick out on a wine list or to cellar, but objectively, if it is well made and checks the boxes - you can't just decide that "you don't like it".

 

To add to what’s been said. I noticed in myself that when you drink the same beer back to back, your palate will get used to it and intense flavor will turn more dull and more subtle flavors will show through underneath. The beer developed thru your taste over a session.