I've run into an issue: my palate has evolved to the point where I no longer thoroughly enjoy—or sometimes even like—the beers that first got me into craft brewing. For example, non-barrel-aged stouts just don’t interest me anymore. I used to crave beers like Founders Breakfast Stout or Stone Imperial Stout, but now I find them thin, uninteresting, and/or lacking unless they’ve been barrel-aged. It feels like my palate has evolved in a negative way. Not every stout needs to be a $30 BA dessert bomb or a NE-style juice smoothie, but I struggle to appreciate the classics like I used to. My question for this group is: how do you "reset" your taste to reclaim interest in tried-and-true classics?
In the old days, '69 -'70, a similar thing would happen with smoking grass. It just wasn't as good anymore. However, there was a solution. Seems like an acid trip would reset your psyche. For a while after, getting high would trigger the acid rush. Think about that all the time these days. Don't know that there's an equivalent analogue. Maybe Hunter's on to something. Maybe a year or two on the wagon would kindle a rebirth? If anyone out there has any insight please let the cards and letters come...
LOL! The same thing has happened to me. Worse, BA impy stouts are now my preferred style; I order them and IPA's more than anything else. I still enjoy North Coast Rasputin, Bells Expedition stout and maybe a few other classics on occasion, but the vast majority of the time I need a ba stout to scratch that particular itch. @TheIPAHunter's suggestion is likely the only solution. At least for while. I know it's the only one I can think of. Good luck!
Fair, I rarely drink in excess, so this realistically would be purely for a true palate reset. For those that do dry January or similar, does coming back to beer after that time provide a bit of a re-calibration? Presumably it would… right?
That's normal. It's just palate burn-out. You can only experience so much intense flavor regularly before it gets tiresome. The novel appeal wears off and becomes burdensome, and you crave something light and refreshing. Normally in these occasions I recommend pilsners as a palate-cleanser, but anymore I find pilsners too hoppy--borderline IPAs--albeit maybe cleaner. What I usually find most palate-cleansing/refreshing these days is stuff like hefeweizens, milds, ESBs, dunkelweizen, weizenbock, etc. I find myself absolutely blown away by how much complexity and flavor is in these malt-focused German/British styles and yet they never seen to become tiresome.
I'm down to two beers on a weekend now (I've lost 20 pounds), that's it, and I find really mild Helles or Pilsners rich and refreshing. Lately I've been drinking Crooked Stave NZ Pils and Kirkland Lager (Deschutes) and both are great.
Most definitely. That first beer (usually something like a good Helles for me, not a booze or hop bomb) in February is a real treat.
What kinds of beers do you find yourself craving? I used to be into the bigger/stronger/bolder club and my palate reversed course into liking milder sessionable items. Over time I think that has been a blessing. I don't necessarily dislike those bigger beers, but I find them kinda boring and extremely similar to one another.
Sounds to me like an ideal time to focus on the styles that you kind of liked in the past and give them another chance. Who knows, you may like them now.
My tip would be to abandon and break up with the "newer" beers that you're currently enjoying and go back exclusively to your OG tried & true beers that you want to have a romance with.
When it is cold out, BA stouts and barleywines. Thick, chewy, and boozy. As it warms, NE-style DIPAs. Of course, living in AZ, lawnmower beers are included out of necessity LOL. I do love Pliny but my taste for the WC IPAs has faded, yet years ago, I was a true WC hop head… I think what made me come to this realization is I've been recently re-trying old favorites from years ago (ie SN pale ale, DFH 60-90 minute, etc) and they didn’t do much for me. While I understand why, perhaps I’m more nostalgic than anything where I would geek out over the nuances of each one. Now, I wouldn’t seek them out. Crazy how a palate can change!
Completely anecdotal, but my friends and I experienced the same. But, you're talking about a different psychoactive resetting your brain chemistry with a similar sensation. Granted, my experience was 30 years after you, and 25 years ago. Weed has changed a lot in both of those time frames (can't go near it anymore, too strong), and I wouldn't use any hallucinogenic at this time in my life unless it was under supervised therapy (I know enough about the universe at this point). Apples and oranges. OP's problem is that his palate has worn out. This is physical fatigue, not neurological. Lay off strong/bold beers, rich, tart, spicy, or otherwise strongly flavored foods for a few weeks, and beers will taste like they used to.
