Perception of Alcohol 'taste'

Ok, a thread about IBU and Alcohol made me wonder about this question. What is it about some beers that can be fairly low alcohol (can't think of a good example off the cuff) where you can taste the alcohol and then there are brews like Troegs Mad Elf that, imho, you can barely even discern it is alcoholic (even at 11%). I am not a big fan of having a pronounced alcoholic taste in my beers, personally, and this is something I want to shoot for.

Not sure, but according to Mosher, the taste threshold in pure water is around 8% which would lead me to believe that what is "percieved" to be an alcohol flavor in lower gravity beers is probably something else??

In the context of homebrew, at least, oftentimes the taste of alcohol indicates that you have some fusel alcohols in the beer, not a good thing (more hangover-inducing, in addition to just not tasting good). Not sure whether this holds true in commercial examples, though.

Alcohol is tasteless and odorless, so what you're tasting are corallating flavors that you associate with alcohol. You're either tasting an ingredient or a by-product.

Take a look at good booze. Makers Mark is smooth and has no burn, but Jim Beam has a little fire on it. Same % alcohol, just better ingredients and aging to help release all the nastiness.

oftentimes the taste of alcohol indicates that you have some fusel alcohols in the beer, not a good thing (more hangover-inducing, in addition to just not tasting good).

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What causes Fusel alcohol to form in Home-brews?

-Ben

SkaBoneBenny said:

What causes Fusel alcohol to form in Home-brews?

-Ben

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Stressed yeast for one.

I used to get the alcohol taste whenever i mashed with chocolate malt. It always left an "alcohol" taste which would fade after a few weeks. I started adding the chocolate at the last 15 minutes of the mash and I don't notice it anymore.

orfy said:

Stressed yeast for one.

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Yeah, I've gotten it with high fermentation temps. Couldn't explain the technical difference between the two alcohols, but there's something.

This is an interesting topic. I like your examples of what brings out these different characteristics. Keep 'em comin!

Chimone said:

I used to get the alcohol taste whenever i mashed with chocolate malt. It always left an "alcohol" taste which would fade after a few weeks. I started adding the chocolate at the last 15 minutes of the boil and I don't notice it anymore.

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I had the same problem with a chocolate Stout (actual bakers chocolate, not malt), tasted really 'hot'. It just needed more time to condition. 3 months after bottling it was tasty

SkaBoneBenny said:

What causes Fusel alcohol to form in Home-brews?

-Ben

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Most fusels are produced by higher fermentation tempertures than that recommended for the yeast. There are other things like trub in the yeast cake and a lack of dextrinous sugars in the wort.