Stones Epic failure??

Update: Tap takeover in town gave me the chance to try the 08 and 09. The 08 had this fantastic lychee flavor that held up amazingly. In contrast, I didn't care as much for the 09. Good stuff overall.

 

Maybe it is just called "hatch green chillis" to the locals, interesting. Never looked at the bottle.

 

Although I don't smoke, and I wouldn't, and I tend to want to believe that smoking would have a significant effect on the palate, I present you these:

You'll notice that study #1 says "It dulls your palate, noticeable differences etc" Study #2 says "no noticeable difference in ability to taste between smokers and non-smokers (although other differences are noted) "

http://www.webmd.com/smoking-cessation/news/20090821/cigarette-smoke-dulls-taste-buds

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20830760

Both 'seem' legit, so again, I choose to lean towards the safe-side, besides, there are many other reasons to not smoke anyways.

 

I found it to be a huge success. I had 3-12 and 7 and 9 on wine barrels and 10 on French oak. They all held up nicely and I was shocked at how well 3, 4 and 5 held up. Oxidation was present but by no means ruined any of them. At 9 the beers really arrived and had better vivacious flavor profiles. The 5.05.05 was my favorite but I really didn't hate any of them. The IPA and the 4 were my least favorites. As far as 10 years of aging I think it really worked out well. IMO.

 

as someone who drank Fine Beer almost daily for years before i quit and years after, i'll confirm that quitting makes a huge difference on your palate (for food too), for the better.

if people want to smoke, i'm all for it, as long as they understand the trade offs. i loved smoking. i love the benefits i get from having quit even more.

(edit: re: studies... this is sort of like "is smoking unhealthy?" of course it is, you get ash in your lungs. is sitting next to a campfire and breathing in for hours healthy? given how much taste is associated with smell, and all the smells constant smoke barrage dulls as well as the congestion and such, it's pretty clear what's up)

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re: VEs, i'd love to do a full tasting. i've had 4~11 at various times and i really like them as curiosities and (occasionally) great beers. my only complaint is that i didn't buy a case of VE09.

 

I may have misspoke - I know it has been scientifically established that smoking affects olfactory sense, which is a primary contributor to "flavor." While it may not affect morphology of your tastebuds, it most certainly affects your perception of flavor in food and drink. I can post links, but they're pretty easy to find on Google.

I know this anecdotally as many people in my family are/were smokers.