How long does it take to develop a palate?

Same here, relative newbie and I'm around the same place with you. I can't seem to get all this fine flavors/aromas.

Sometimes I think people just type random stuff to make their reviews be so cool looking hahaha.

 

Every bodies palate is different so you simply may not pick up certain tastes because of that.

But some things just take time. Keep at it. I've been doing this for about three years and I still can't get the whole kitchen sink in a lot of the beers I try

 

I've been drinking craft for years, and really got into trying and keeping track of what I've tasted about a year ago and I still struggle picking out subtle flavors. I'm under the impression that some people just don't have a "developed palate" and won't get one.

 

Practice is a absolute must to develop a nuanced palate.

At least, that's what I tell the wife.

 

I know exactly how you feel......I taste only the big broad flavors and smells. Don't always get the nuances but it may be that, like me, I can't think of the word or what that flavor is but you know it is there. It may develop over time a little so that you: pick up the notes faster, the depth of it (lightly peppered or a bit stronger), and recognize how the taste changes as it moves over your tongue and as it warms. Maybe we just aren't destined to know every single spice/fruit/flavor/grain in it anyways.

Give it time and just think about how it tastes to you, then look up the reviews and see if they help you identify some that escape you. That has helped me over time to get a better understanding of how to best describe what I taste. Also reading the bottles after, and I stress after when reading any description as you don't want it to give you expectations and make you taste blind.

TL;DR ~ We're brothers from other mothers. Give it time. Work on it by tasting then reading descriptions afterwards to help develop. Good Luck.

 

I can't really describe why I like some beers over others. The reviews here are incredible. Some of the things people taste and smell really impress me. I don't think I'll ever be able to do it.

 

55 years.

Just kidding, it all depends on how passionate you are about beer, its styles, and its wide range of characteristics.

 

I would say it takes time for sure. Also if you want to give a boost to that time frame I would say try this out...
Take notes on the beer you are drinking and really try to think about what it taste like. After you think you have detected all that you are capable of then go online and read other reviews and continue drinking and see if you pick up on anything else people are mentioning. Like I said do your notes first so not to be bias.
Also drinking with friends can help, I have a buddy not as much in the beer scene as me, but he is really good at picking up on things I would so we share thoughts as drinking.
Just remember have fun with it and not to turn it into a chore.

 

Some advice on things that helped me, when I first started into it:

Glassware can be important. I find that I can pick out more aromas and tastes based on drinking vessel. I usually use a tulip, pils, or snifter. I found I can pick out different notes using those glasses more than anything. YMMV.

Seriously practice. Instead of a single, try buying a sixer, and drink each bottle a little different. Try one colder, one warmer, try different glassware. Try it right from the bottle. You never know what you might pick up.

And just try to pay attention to taste and smell on a daily basis for a point of reference. Not just with food, but also out and about.

 

You are never going to taste everything that the rest of us do. Taste is subjective. I still have a hard time describing what I taste or smell. You will find with time/beers, your senses will become more refined. Don't underestimate proper glassware. It's not essential, but not a myth either. Check back in a year or so.

 

Took me at least a year, and it's still developing every time I drink a beer.

 

Get a copy of the BJCP style guidelines here: http://www.bjcp.org/ and use them when you sample a beer and see if you are noticing the things in the guideline for the style. It will help develop your palate.

 

It's a constant project. I'm about twenty years in, and I'm still learning.

 

People may disagree, but I think it's more about developing a vocabulary rather than developing your palate. Sure, I think that the more you drink/experience beer (or anything), the more adjusted your nose and tongue (and brain) get to identifying certain elements of that beer (or thing). However, I think that the more important thing is just to learn how to recognize certain flavors or aromas and how to describe them. Most of the tasting notes people use (for anything, really) are bullshit.... well.... SOMEWHAT bullshit. No, they are not tasting a cracker or a blanket or an apricot pit any more than they might be tasting something bready, funky, or fruity. But, the way the flavor is presented may remind them of something drier than straight fruit, earthier than straight funk, or sharper than straight bread.

At least that's what I think.

 

I mean, it's the way the brain/nose/tongue work anyway.... you only have a handful (dozens) of different types of receptors in your nose. That means that there can only be that number of specific and/or fundamental aromas/flavors period. However, it is the relative amounts, combinations, and intensities of those fundamental flavors that can make up more complex smells/tastes. Placement of those receptors in your nasal cavities along with how long a certain compound will persist in your nose/mouth also contribute.

 

I used to think the same way, that most of it was just exaggeration.

Key to picking out those flavors (and they absolutely are real) is to find the best examples of the styles they are most prominent in.

For instance, you might read about the bubblegum/banana-bread/clove esters or peppery phenols that people pick out of beers. The way you can get that is by drinking a Weihenstephaner or Ayinger hefeweisen out of the proper glass. And go into it knowing/looking for those flavors and aromas, after half of your beer you will probably begin to notice them.

Another example is the graham cracker malt character common of quality German pilsners, chocolate/coffee characteristics of robust porters, and the citrus aroma of a nice IPA. Once you start getting super familiar with a certain style you begin to notice subtle differences between different offerings within that style.
But the keys here are knowledge of the style, knowledge of the notes attributed to that particular style, and the best examples of those notes, and you will pick them out in no time.

 

Have to agree with esimonoff- it's about learning with to identify (with language) what you are already tasting. You might develop a palate when it comes to beers unfamiliar to you, which is to say the first time you have an IPA it tastes overwhelmingly bitter and you don't notice grapefruit peel, but for the most part you already have the palate and its a matter of naming what your palate is tasting. And as to the tasting notes, when they are not bullshit it is because the taster is identifying the same flavor compounds in the hops of an IPA as are in a grapefruit peel. One person's grapefruit peel might be someone else's bitter orange but both people are tasting the same flavor compound- here is where it gets "subjective".

 

Taste with groups and converse about what you're smelling/tasting. Often times someone else will pick out and associate an aroma or flavor with a great identifier that you simply couldn't put your finger on. Like someone mentioned - it deals a lot with expanding your vocabulary to articulate what exactly it is you are experiencing.

Listen to podcasts like The Beerists.

Go for a certification like Cicerone or BJCP.

Work on pairing beers with complementary/harmonious dishes. Food will often pull out distinctive notes of a beer that would not be easily detected otherwise.

You can't expect to simply develop your palate by sitting around slinging cases of beer. It takes practice, focus, and guidance from others who are more experienced.

edit: yeah proper glassware is huge for aroma. when i drink at home, all beers go in the snifter.

 

Also, some beers are easier than others. sometimes I listen to music and sometimes I need it a little quiet. Sometimes you come up with crazy out of this world descriptions, like horse blanket notes, or body odor, wet dog, seaweed, brine, burnt notes, specific spices things like that. but you need to be patient. Not to be corny but there is a certain romance to it. pour it in a decent glass, look at it, big sniffs and long sips, let it melt in your mouth be creative. It doesn't hurt to know a thing or 2 about brewing or the specifics of the style either. give it time.