I've had a few beers over time that have given off an odd cheese smell and flavor. I might describe it as a moldy cheese scent, with a blue cheese-y tang at the back of the palate. I do not care for it at all. I seem to have been the only one that picked up on this aroma and flavor, which would lead me to believe that I am sensitive to a certain hop variety or maybe it's the malt. I've picked it up, most recently, in Heavy Seas Black Cannon, Wachusett Black IPA and in an English style bitter from the Cambridge Brewing company. I'm not sure what was used in the bitter and no one was able to tell me, but here's what the other two have in common: Hops: Simcoe and Centennial Malt: 2-row and Munich Is it possible one, or a combination of these is resulting in this taste for me? Does anybody else get this? I'm thinking it has a likeness to the onion flavor some people pick up from summit hops (I have never gotten that on) How can I go about isolating the culprit to avoid it?
Interesting. Is that even a real possibility to be happening with these breweries? I have an especially hard time picturing CBC using stale hops.
Hard to say, but I've never heard any cause of that character. I have to also say that breweries aren't infallible. I've had beers at brew-pubs that had the character, could be just a small slip in that batch.
My question is am I overly sensitive to this flavor? No one else picked up on it, even after I mentioned it.
We all have differences in taste thresholds. Some times a person can be hyper sensitive to a flavor compound. A friend is super sensitive to diacetyl, but blind to DMS?
