It's Funny how Brewing Trains the Palate

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jzal8

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I've noticed over that last few months, since I have become a better and more knowledgable brewer, that my recollection of beers I've tried before brewing and have not had since is usually way off base.

My most recent example is the Sierra Nevada Wheat beer. Yesterdays Sierra Nevada discussion got me looking at a few of their six packs yesterday at the liquor store. Now I over the past 3 years have been to many places that offer their wheat, but almost always pass over it for the pale ale. I've always remembered it as a beer that I liked, but felt it was so similiar to the pale ale that I might as well just get the pale ale. I realize now that the taste I was associating with the wheat beer was the same bitterness that is present in the pale ale.

For that reason, since buying two or three six packs no less than 2 years ago, I've always past over it. Till yesterday. Got myself a six pack. Went for an evening swim with my lady friend. Came home, ate a light dinner and sat down for a little south park. I popped open a bottle and poured it into my Giants SuperBowl Champion pint glass and took a sip...I could not have been more off base with this beer. Its amazing how off base I really was.

Its light, refreshing, low IBU's, Floral. Fantastic. Makes me want to brew an American Wheat immediately. Even over the past few months as I learned the characteristics of the American Wheat Style, I still continued to look past this beer because though i remember liking it, I felt it was Sierra Nevada just hopping up what should be a less bitter brew.

I've had this same experience with Otter Creeks stove pipe porter, Blue Moon, and I am sure many other beers that I can't recall at the moment.

Sorry to go on for so long but it totally blew me away last night and I wanted to share. Anyone else have similiar experiences?
 
The biggest difference I've noticed since I became a PITA beer snob ;) is that I'd now rather have nothing than drink pissy lager. And that when I'm in the liquor store I'll choose beers that I've never had before ahead of beers I've tried and liked.

I've never had the SN wheat, but I'll see if I can find anywhere here that sells it.
 
Ya, had a blue moon the other day, couldn't believe how much they bastardized the wit. I hadn't had it in a while and I was like wow, this really sucks.

Also went to a barcrawl last night.. I drank whiskey+coke no pisswater for me thanks. Everyone was walking around with their $1 MHL. F that, I'll have nothing first.
 
I just did a SN Wheat beer clone, using the hops they mention on their site: Perle and Spalt. It was good, but the SN is a LOT more hoppy than the one I brewed. I tried to stick to the American Wheat BJCP guidelines for IBU, but I'm not going to next time. I used 1oz of each hop, and while smooth it just doesn't have that same hop aroma and bite. Next time, I'm doubling the hop additions...woohoo!
 
I am a chef and now that I have been homebrewing I have noticed a whole lot more flavors in some beers. I have a very refined palate and taste every seasoning in food but didnt always taste it in beer. I too have passed over beers that I have had and liked in favor of trying a new beer that I have never even heard of. thats what my local beer store is good for. They get such a wide range of stuff and it changes every few weeks so I always get something new to put in the fridge.
 
z987k said:
Ya, had a blue moon the other day, couldn't believe how much they bastardized the wit. I hadn't had it in a while and I was like wow, this really sucks.


For me, I actually hated blue moon before I brewed. Thought it tasted like Olive Juice. Now I like it quite a bit actually.
 
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