Do cans actually benefit flavor? (poll)

Easier to take places as a lot of outdoor venues don't allow glass, other than that I don't really care what my beer is in as long as it's good.

 

cans prevent skunking... brilliant!
I just don't like the crap they line the cans with (BPA). If it weren't for the bpa, I'd be a staunch can advocate!

That being said, you can't seal them up as easily as a bottle.... but because of their size, it's not much of an issue.

 

Do they improve the taste? No. Do they do a better job of preserving the taste? Most likely yes.
I actually prefer the really big cans, you know, the ones that hold gallons.

 

Caution!
May be best to pour into a glass!

 

Fixed.

 

Well, you're wrong about the metallic taste thing. Here's why:

 

I saw the thread you're talking about and didn't open it because I thought the idea of a beer tasting better directly from the can than that same beer from a proper glass sounded absurd. While I actually clicked on your thread planning to post a comment about how the lack of light and the seal can help preserve (i.e., benefit) flavor, I actually like and prefer the fact that you are essentially wondering whether or not a beer tasting better from the can is an actual thing. If it makes you feel better, your initial post provided a pretty good explanation of what you wanted to know from the poll, even if the title of the thread was slightly misleading.

It's interesting, because I can't say any beer I've ever had tasted better out of the can, but when I tried Heady Topper in both vessels (can vs. glass), the can was still pretty fantastic, and I didn't have to look at the blizzard of floaties in the beer. Harmless, I know, and I love an unfiltered beer, but this wasn't cloudy or hazy, this was a bunch of particulate. The beer tasted amazing, of course, but the appearance just isn't that appealing to my eyes. So maybe drinking out of a can could be a benefit for "uglier" beers.

Interestingly enough, there are brands of canned wine. Not much different than boxed wine I suppose, and both are likely looked at as inferior to bottled wine by wine enthusiasts. But to your point, it's not very common. Although I would suggest that "why?" of people preferring wine in bottles comes from tradition rather than any significant benefit from the bottle as a vessel. I have a feeling that tradition also plays a role with beer, although not too long ago, cans would impart a metallic taste to the beer, before we started using poly-whatever linings to keep the beer away from the metal.

Now, even though I think the can is great as a vessel, the selection is admittedly limited compared the vast availability of bottled beer. Also, it's possible that bottles have some advantages for the purposes of aging/cellaring.

 

Haha, yup. Maybe it's the texture of metal that makes me think it tastes metallic. Or maybe it's just the taste of BMC.

 

I voted yes, cans don't allow light so they will not skunk like bad glass, they won't leak, bad caps can be a problem. That's why I polled yes, but as far as fresh to fresh IMO cans are neutral just like bottles, the cans today aren't the old steel cans on the 60's, they're lined. Cans can go the beach and pool without you getting kicked out, making them safer all the way around. Not much of a case can be made for glass snobbery, some of the best beers are canned, and more coming everyday.

 

Ew.. wtf is that?

 

It depends on the can. I've had some that left a metallic aftertaste, but none actually improved the flavor. In my experience, drinking from the can has the potential to improve the drinking experience by giving the beer a creamier mouthfeel, which I like.

 

Are you drinking from the can?

 

...certain things. BMC at parties, etc. Not often craft out of the can, sometimes Surly or Oskar Blues.

 

I can't put my homebrew in a can--and close it.

 

Try a google search for "wine in cans" and you will find a bunch of wine in cans.

The main reason their aren't a lot of wine in cans in store is because wine, much more so than beer, is slow to change and consumers are afraid of change. French wine from prime regions will forever use cork even though corks are prone to infection and scewcaps are less expensive to use and almost never going to lead to an infected bottle.

Draft beer is often the best. Draft beer comes from a big can. People who don't think of this are going to gravitate towards beer in bottles. Especially those fancy green ones from countries that really know how to make beer

 

It's the aroma of the can near your face causing you to "taste" metallic tones.
Salty, sweet, bitter, sour, umami, bro. That is all we can taste. Everything else is aroma interpreted as flavor.

 

Personally I don't really enjoy drinking from the container at all, whether it's a can or a bottle. I think I might have a muted sense of smell/taste, so at least for me, beers out of the bottle (never had a craft beer from a can yet) tend to all taste similar. But when I pour them into a glass, I can experience the complexity and differences between them. Hell, whenever I can I travel with a pint glass.

 

I'm just gonna say drink a Newcastle clear bottle and then drink a Newcastle can. Proper glassware, straight from the vessel- whatever your choice- just tell me which tastes better.

 

I think all beer is best strait from the brite tanks. Everything else is expired.

 

They definitely have their benefits. No light being a big one.