What's Wrong with My Palate?

Didn't you know that we are only allowed to like big beers for one year? Did you read the fine print?

(nothing's wrong with you)

 

You are probably starting to pick up subtleties you never could before and are thus finding the heaviness of the malt overdone and unnecessary. It has definitely happened to me. I cant stand an imperial stout unless its served to me in a very small portion and sipped like a port wine.

 

For many, taste is something that evolves. You may find that after a couple seasons of enjoying your saisons and sours, you may cycle back to RISs and other styles you have enjoyed in the past. Or, you may find out you have moved on from those styles completely. While you may not have enjoyed the BC offerings, I would suggest you periodically continue to sample different styles/choices. BC didn't float your boat, but something else may.

 

If I ever find that the taste of a beer makes me almost want to throw up, all I gotta do is take a shot of patron or really any other hard liquor and that will straighten out my perspective. Don't ever see it coming to that for me, fortunately

 

Just a normal phase- sometimes they can last 5, 10 years even. Thank God there are so many other types of beer to get into! You might eventually circle back, zig zag along the way, or ping pong back and forth; it's all good.

 

Personally I think the RIS has been foolishly set as some sort of craft summit of appreciation, when in reality there are many other styles that yield far more complex, nuanced sensory profiles.

Don't beat yourself up. You just have an appreciation for more interesting and varying styles. Let only you guide you and what you do

 

Nothing at all wrong with your palate, evolution is a good thing. I have started my descent from the IIPA spectrum...now they just seem to sweet for me (with a few exceptions). I find myself enjoying less aggressive type beers now, like bottle conditioned pale ales and saisons, and have really gotten into the BA stout offerings and scotch ales. Most of us with time will experience some type of change...

 

Perfect opportunity to cellar those beers and cycle back around if you enter a new phase. It happens, but the good thing is that those beers age so well that you may like them a lot better after they've been properly aged. Personally, I need at least a year or two on BCBS to really enjoy it.

 

That is basically how I end up aging beers...when they aren't doing it for me at a moment in time.

The only beer that got remarkably better with age in my experience was Founders Imperial Stout.

I hear about people aging Narwhal and I quietly laugh to myself about as these folks seemingly age beers without really knowing why they do so.

 

Palate fatigue, it's real and it's a bitch. Drink too much on any one style and you will hit a wall, more so associated with aggressively hopped up brews, but I suspect you BCBS your self to death. I do it every year with IPA's , the cure is simple, scale back to Pils, and even lighter styles. I usually go back to Miller Lites, but it can hang around for awhile too, it's more like a month or so fix than a week.

 

Your perception of taste will come and go, but you should always go with what you enjoy at the moment.
Swing back around later and try the styles that are no longer satisfying to you now.

 

That's funny, because I think Founders Imperial Stout is fantastic right out of the gate whereas the year old Narwhal I had the other night was much more integrated/smooth/tasty than when it was fresh IMO.

 

You are permitted to get bored of beer styles. It happens. If you have any to spare.
Lose one for a year, and revisit it. It might need more time in the oven to come around.
Also, what did you eat with it? Anything? Big beer needs good food.

 

Drink what tastes right, right?
You'll also be amazed at how your taste changes as you age. Not your beer, you.
Cheers!

 

Palates change my man. I used to crush Belgians, now I won't go near them. Some say that it's cyclical and your lust for these styles will return. We shall see.

Also, I have moved away from big beers myself. Too boozy for me. As I said in another post, I love fine whiskeys, from bourbon to scotch and everything in between. Booziness works there, not as much in beer (though there are exceptions).

Enjoy the shift.

 

When I first started drinking craft beers only the stout style suited my taste. Now some beers I enjoyed when I started I dont enjoy now. I couldnt really stand IPA's. Now I am really enjoying them.

 

Damn dude, you worked through the stages quick.

I was on the sour/saison kick for almost 2 years. Before that it was the "big beers" for 2 years and before that it was hops for 2 years. Before you know it, you'll be in the lager stage...

 

I had a Parabola recently that I didn't enjoy, when I'd always liked it in the past. Talk about panic attack.

Still waiting for the doctor to get back to me with the results of the palate test.

 

1st. Drink what you like. Taste is mostly subjective.

2nd. I had a pretty bad experience with cheap whiskey in my younger days. Certain barrel aged beers bring that flavor back to me, and it's not something I want to relive. (many other barrel aged beers, I love)