I can't taste nuances

“It's always interesting to watch them analyze. No histrionics, just talent. Some folks are simply gifted.”

I do agree that some people are gifted but I also wonder about this sometime. Permit me to provide an anecdotal story:

“When I got together with Tony (and his girlfriend & daughter) he ordered a Yards Brawler (my favorite Mild Ale when it is served on cask). He took a few sips and uttered “tastes sour” which struck me as a bit odd since I personally have never perceived sour in that beer. He handed the beer to his girlfriend and asked her “does this taste sour to you?”. She took a sip and replied “no”. Tony stated “take another sip”. She took a second sip and replied “it doesn’t taste sour”. I then saw Tony write down “sour” on his sheet of paper. I thought this exchange was ‘interesting’”

So, Tony (who has a great palate) tasted sour in a beer (Yards Brawler). I have had Brawler many times and I have never perceived a sourness in that beer. So the $64,000 Question (are you old enough to remember that show?) is: does sourness exist in Yards Brawler or doesn’t it? Does Tony just have a more perceptive palate than me (and his girlfriend) or is he perceiving something that isn’t there?

Beer tasting can be a ‘challenging’ avocation.

Cheers!

 

Tasting Beer by Mosher, yes. But ultimately, tasting beer (IN GENERAL) is subjective to what the person perceives. Unless they are making it up or convincing themselves they taste something to sound smart.

 

“Unless they are making it up or convincing themselves they taste something to sound smart.” I wonder about that a lot when I read certain reviews. I sometimes read where a reviewer will make descriptions like: it has flavors of tangerine, orange and grapefruit. How they can perceive these individual citrus fruit flavors is beyond me.

Cheers!

 

Jack - Please get a can of sixpoint resin that I describe in my review like this

"As a point of interest -the tangerine in this beer literally fills up your mouth like a real tangerine. It’s is the most accurate tasting of a specific fruit in a beer that I have ever noticed."

Honest to goodness this tangerine even had a little pith. =)

 

Maria, nothing intended to be personal here but I will not buy a Sixpoint Resin. I have not purchased a Sixpoint beer for a long time (2 years?) but I changed my mind a few weeks ago and purchased Sixpoint Autumnation (I was very interested in drinking a Mosaic hopped beer). Autumnation is an extremely mediocre beer; it has an unpleasant aroma and the flavor is lacking. I am 100% convinced that Sixpoint has been unable to consistently brew ‘good’ beer since they have had their beers brewed at the Lion Brewery in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Back to your review comment of “the tangerine in this beer literally fills up your mouth like a real tangerine. I have no doubt that an individual (in this case you) is capable of perceiving an individual citrus fruit flavor (tangerine in this case). What I have a difficult time understanding (believing) is that an individual can perceive the flavors of tangerine and orange and grapefruit in a specific beer.

Cheers!

 

I'll never be a Michael Jackson or a Ron Pattinson or the ilk. But even I, in all my infinite amateurism, can differentiate between tangerines and plums. Apples and oranges, so to speak. It always amazes me that guys can pick out the subtle asparagus and boiled okra nuances of an overly hopped, overly boozed Imperial Stout, yet ascribe "horse piss" and "not a dime's difference" to a Pils.

 

Well I am a bit disappointed but I know how you feel about sixpoint in general as that's how we met. You are not the first person to say that autumnation was a disappointing experience. I will say, that in a beer - the rind or the fruit peel or zest can stand out from an overall citrus quality such that you can taste both grapefruit and orange.

Are you sure you won't buy one measly can to try and see what I see? (I kid, I kid=)

 

I sometimes get multiple fruits/flavors of the same type (like citrus), but usually it's because the flavor is a cross between them, or the flavors are in different aspects (grapefruit nose with lime on the palate, orange flavor with lemon acidity, etc.). Occasionally, I do get them at the same time. I don't understand why, but it's there for me.

I suppose it's the same as getting both chocolate and coffee from malts at the same time. Which I find often!

 

To use just one example, I can typically pick out pear, apple, and white grape in a Koelsch. Not sure why anyone would doubt this.

 

“I sometimes get multiple fruits/flavors of the same type (like citrus), but usually it's because the flavor is a cross between them, or the flavors are in different aspects (grapefruit nose with lime on the palate, orange flavor with lemon acidity, etc.).”

I can envision the specific aspects that you detailed above. To me a tangerine and orange taste very similar. I would not state that other citrus fruits like lime or lemon are similar to a tangerine/orange; to me a lime/lemon is distinctly different from a tangerine/orange.

I personally can perceive a variety of fruit flavors in a beer like stone fruit flavors (e.g., peach, pear, etc.) and tangerine/orange and lemon/lime, etc. What I can’t do is perceive tangerine and orange in the same beer.

Cheers!

P.S. I can also distinguish chocolate and coffee favors in a beer like a Stout. The coffee flavors come from the Roasted Barley (I am highly sensitive to Roasted Barley) and the chocolate flavor is from other dark malts (English Chocolate Malt yields a noticeable chocolate flavor to my palate).

 

Well, if you assume citric acid to be responsible for lemon, lime, orange, etc. you might think the flavors can't coexist, but I'm sure it comes down to various other flavor components being present at/in various levels. Sort of like the relationship between pitch and timbre.

 

Actually, the difference between chocolate and coffee is just slightly more or less roast. The same comes about in wine (and other barrel aged products) from barrel char; moving from vanilla to spice to chocolate to coffee and eventually tobacco.

 

The really talented tasters that I know are mostly wine professionals and afficianados, but I've noticed that what minimal level of ability I have seems to work with most fermentables. Nothing replaces experience tasting as many beers (or wine) as possible to begin to gain better perspective. One particular friend has an uncanny ability to know the provenance of most every wine I've seen him try (blind). Beer is different as far as "terroir", but flavors are real "things". Can you imagine someone looking up and saying, "my, but this ale tastes rather Kentish"? Actually, I can imagine that. I do remember that show! As far as Yards Brawler, I'd love to give it a shot to attempt to detect that elusive touch of sour.

 

“As far as Yards Brawler, I'd love to give it a shot to attempt to detect that elusive touch of sour.”

Please do, I would appreciate hearing your opinion.

Cheers!

 

“Actually, the difference between chocolate and coffee is just slightly more or less roast.” Agreed.

Roasted Barley Malt at 500-600° Lovibond yields significant coffee flavor to my palate

English Chocolate Malt at 375-450 Lovibond yields a chocolate flavor to my plate.

I recently homebrewed a Porter using 1 lb. of 80L Crystal, ½ lb. of English Chocolate Malt and only ¼ lb. of Roasted Barley. I purposefully chose to only use ¼ lb. of Roasted Barley to minimize the coffee flavor.

Cheers!

 

I did not read the four pages of replies. Sorry.



I figure it is not a question of your ability to taste nuances. The fact that you could come to a decision that you liked “x” best says your can taste. It appears to me to be more a communication / vocabulary issue. Simply (and it may not be simple) put words to what you are tasting in a culinary sense. Start slow with bold flavors then narrow the focus, i.e., citrus to lime. Also tow big things, what you are eating heavily influences the taste of your beer. Second, smell plays a huge role in tasting.

 

As the others have said, smell, eat or experience the flavors you see described in reviews as you can not pick out those flavors until those connections are made. It looks like you are in the Twin Cities so get involved with the homebrew there. The more you know the ingredients and brewing process, the more you know the flavors that result. Those clubs also run BJCP prep courses for becoming a beer judge and that process with the guided tasting is a great way to train your palate.

 

Whatever nuances you pick out--whether 2 or 20--you're just describing parts of the whole. The beer is the whole, and if you can enjoy it as it is, for what it is, I don't think you'll miss anything. If a "part" sticks out to you, then cool. But I think you're more likely to miss out on the overall experience if your FOCUS is the parts, rather than the whole.

 

Try tasting a flavorful beer at different temperatures. Most beers are served too cold. Pour something flavorful into a mug from the fridge and taste it over an hour and a half. You will be amazed how much cold temperature dulls your taste buds. My guess is your better than your think and cold temperatures are the culprit.