Under The Surface: Results From The Self-Perceived Tasting Abilities Survey

[Brulosopher]

As brewers with a passion for high quality beer, we tend to invest quite a bit of time and energy in the advancement of our palates. Being fascinated by both beer and the human condition, I began to wonder to what degree our beliefs about our tasting abilitites were influenced by something other than reality, so I sent out a survey asking brewers to rate themselves on a number of scales. The results are available now, check it out!

http://brulosophy.com/2016/04/14/un...m-the-homebrewers-perceived-abilities-survey/

 

[nDub]

Great article.

I'm also a fan of the website.


our abilities are not as good as we think

 

[Jimbodaman]

Wow another great exbeeriment. I know my palate is terrible, my rating of beers is good, bad, terrible, bitter/hoppy, sweet, fruity, creamy. However my GF has a terrific palate and doesn't know anything about typical off flavors. "that beer I had tasted like butter... " Oh you mean diacetyl. "it tastes like sour apples" . I don't pick up any of those flavors, she's always my official taste tester because I can't taste the minute(sp?) off flavors.

 

[Dee_Lynn]

What tasted not as good as I remember at 9:00 AM all of a sudden tastes great at noon and then just OK in the evening. OR just reverse all of that sometimes. Who the heck am I to tell anyone what something tastes like.

Anyone else willing to admit even one's own taste is quite variable?

Dee_Lynn

 

[whovous]

What tasted not as good as I remember at 9:00 AM all of a sudden tastes great at noon and then just OK in the evening. OR just reverse all of that sometimes. Who the heck am I to tell anyone what something tastes like.

Anyone else willing to admit even one's own taste is quite variable.

Dee_Lynn

Yup. And if you add food to the equation, all the prior judgments are out the window.

 

[GrogNerd]

Navy chow wrecked my already horrible palate, so I can't really pick out flavors as well as others

the good news is anything that isn't completely foul tastes pretty good to me

so, it's a curse AND a blessing

 

[AK7007]

I'm in the camp that your readers aren't full of themselves and giving you impossible data. You only surveyed the portion of the population that cares a lot about beer and spends tons of time training themselves to taste beer, while also failing to give them context for their responses.

 

[betarhoalphadelta]

I find it very odd that so many people rate themselves as above average tasters yet only average sensitivity to off flavors... How does that work?

 

[Yesfan]

Great article. Like what's been said, I'm also a fan of the website. :thumbs up: