Taste of beer questions from a newbie

A completely untrained palate can definitely taste the difference between Boston Lager/ Blue Moon/ Guinness. Those are pretty distinct tastes, it's once you delve in further that the lines begin to blur. I'd try the other two you mentioned, and taste for yourself. That will show you that all beers taste like beer, but they don't all taste like "beer"

 

A stout is definitely going to taste different from a lager. You might want to try something darker. You could also try a hefeweizen.

 

Watch this. I think @augiecarton starts to answer your questions quite well in it.

 

I really enjoyed watching that video of @augiecarton !!

I am guessing that he was speaking to a foodie audience and he communicated very effectively in that regard.

Cheers to Augie!!!!!

 

I remember the first time I tried Boston Lager when I just started drinking, I thought it was incredibly hoppy and had a hard time with it. Much has changed for me since then

You may have found the hop flavor off-putting; hops are responsible for the level of bitterness in beer, so if the flavor you didn't like was bitter then that was probably it. I know people who think hops taste like pine trees and windex.

I also think it tastes like pine trees and windex, but in a good way

As was suggested, you might try out a more mellow beer, like a Hefeweizen for example. Wheat beers are less bitter and tend to have some subdued bready and citrusy flavors. You may also like Pilsner if you try it, the hops are a bit more forward but in general it will be lighter in body than Boston Lager for example. I often use Czech style Pilsners as a gateway for friends who drink Coors Light but want to try out a "real" beer. Guinness is a very very mild Irish Dry Stout; personally I can't stand it (I think there are many better IDS's than Guinness) but for a gateway into better dark beers you may enjoy it. You might like Oatmeal Stout and Milk Stouts as well if you travel down the dark beer path, both have a tendency to be mellow and slightly sweet. The difference between a Hefe, Pils and Stout are something you will definitely be able to easily discern.

Keep on reading, researching, and trying everything you think looks interesting. I would suggest checking out the styles I and others have mentioned on this site and seeing which beers are highly rated in that style and available near you. I would encourage you not to give up and know that it will take time and exploration to develop your palate and find out which styles you enjoy and which ones you don't.

Welcome to the world of beer

 

You will definitely be able to taste the difference between most major styles. If you really want to explore what beer has to offer, I would highly recommend finding a shop that sells build your own 6-packs. I would assume someone working there would be knowledgeable enough to guide you with finding 6 different basic examples of various styles. You can try 6 different beers for around $10 if you go this route and that will help you narrow down what you do and don't like. Definitely never give up on a style based on one beer though, as there are so many examples out there.

When I first started out, I stuck with the lighter, more classic styles. The wheats, hefes, lagers, pilsners, etc. were all what I could handle until I developed my palate. Then I moved into some of the darker beers and then finally onto IPAs and things like barleywines and sours. Don't be too quick to focus on other people's recommendations as we all like different things and have different palates. Try as much as you can and narrow as you go. Then once you find what you like, stick with it and build from there.

 

Truly this is an age of wonders.

I'd suggest going for a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale next, which is pretty much a benchmark pale ale in the American style, and some good porter or stout (Sierra Nevada also makes those, but you might try a Founders Porter if it's available where you are). The pale and the porter/stout as well as the Boston Lager you tried should all be easy enough to tell apart.

 

Welcome to the BA site, CTDDrivn. Since your are literally starting at life beer #1, the first thing I think you need to do is determine whether your palate likes hops or malt (the grain flavor). So I suggest that you get a pale ale and an amber or red ale (a porter or an oatmeal stout will be good choices too if you don't find an amber) to see which you like better. Then we can go from there. Your member info does not say in which state you are located, so if you give us that info then we can narrow down specific beers that are available to you as your next choices.

 

Hey, I was 23 when I tried my first beer. Didn't like it at all. It wasn't until last year (age 28) that I tried my second beer. And now I've found beer I actually like. You're not alone in the "no beer until well after legal age" thing, no matter how much society might try to convince you that everyone and their mom was guzzling down cheap beer as far back as high school.

Part of it may just be that your taste buds aren't used to "beer-y" tastes at all yet, having never had beer before. I generally don't believe in "acquired tastes" (in the "keep forcing this down, even if it's gross at first, and you'll eventually like it!" sense... taste buds do change over time but in my experience, it's never a result of repeatedly forcing yourself to eat something you don't like), but beer might actually work in a way similar to that, at least for some people.

I noticed that when I first started out trying beer again last year, I could only drink beer when I had some food along with it (spicy pasta, in my case--no tomato sauce and just a little cheese, mostly olive oil and spices and sometimes a little hot sauce. Pizza also goes well with a lot of beers, though probably not all)--the first one I tried, without food, ended up a lot like your Boston Lager experience; drank maybe 3/4 over the course of an hour or more and then ended up dumping the last bit down the drain... but with food I could finish a full bottle. By the end of my first six-pack I found that I actually didn't mind it so much even without food. And then I had a variety 12-pack and didn't end up drain-pouring anything from it, and even found a few that I liked enough that I'd want to drink them again. Now I'm trying new beer every chance I get and haven't stumbled across anything I really can't stand just yet.

 

Good luck, bro! Amazing time to start exploring beer.

 

Some of what to start with depends on what you are drinking now. My wife is a wine drinker and she will not drink anything too bitter but she does just fine with Saisons. Amber ales and pale ales are pretty easy to drink as are Kolsch's. Some of my wine swilling friends even do OK with Lambics and other sours. Go to a craft beer bar with a load of taps and ask for a couple of samples - don't go overboard - but if the place is cool they will guide you through the process and help you identify a handful of beers that you actually like. May craft brewers and some bars also offer flights which is another way to sample a lot of beer without spending an arm and a leg. If you are drinking bourbon right now, you might like a nice bourbon barrel stout.

 

the range is indeed huge ... hefeweizens and witbiers (like Blue Moon) are a good place to start if you didn't immediately take to Boston Lager. you might also try Chimay yellow (a Belgian tripel) ... German wheat ales and Belgian tripels can be very fruity and sweet while some find witbeirs to be in the area code of white wine.

i wasn't a huge fan of the bitter hop flavor in beer for the longest time, especially our American hop flavors, but that bitter bite really will grow on you if you give it an honest shot. don't be discouraged if it doesn't happen soon. it can take time.

good luck and keep us posted of your adventures!

 

The best question I could ask of you is what flavors and what do you like to drink usually?

Beer isn't for everyone either...

 

Some people who "don't like beer" find that they actually love sours. Turns out, may people who love beer, don't like sour beer. Funny that way.

 

I'm a long time wine drinker who didn't start drinking craft beer until age 43! So you've got plenty of time to develop your palate!

 

Personally, I think a German style Hefeweizen is a good place to start. They aren't hoppy and aren't heavy. You cam distinguish the taste that the yeast imparts in a beer. Hops are something I had a hard time with at first too. Starting with hefes, then moving up the chain to other more hoppy and more malty beers slowly is a good plan IMHO.

 

Lots of people have given some good advice so I think you got enough to look for and try. I actually had a very similar experience with BL being my first "real" beer and I have never had it since. Obviously, that has changed since then, and one thing that sort of blew my mind was going to my first beer festival.

That's probably like jumping into the ocean with never taking swimming lessons but it was amazing to me to explore all these different styles and different takes on those styles that it really broadened my idea of what I liked and did not. Might be a bit much for you at this point but it worked for me to "expand my mind." Just an idea, if you find a cheap one maybe check it out. Otherwise, ignore me and enjoy.