Homebrewers and cigarette smoking

[iambeer]

I smoked and quit a few years ago. My sense of smell and taste has become more sensitive since quitting. I couldn't find a study but I think it would be interesting to know if a brewer is a smoker because that to me would alter my regard to her or his opinion on taste. Especially on hoppy beer.

Not that I am necessarily correct about the smoking thing. If you watched Jiro Dreams of Sushi, you know one of the top sushi chefs smoked most of his life...

 

[Krovitz]

I'm a smoker but my girlfriend isn't. She always says our beers taste really hoppy and I keep thinking we need a lot more next time. Ha. Not such a bad thing.

 

[gab]

You would totally hate my bong water rye... But yeah ( even as a smoker) I would agree with your hypothesis

 

[jonmohno]

I dont think they pair well,but its a whole nother world for a smoker. Im glad I quit that dumb extermely poisonous habit. I have no judgemnet against someone who likes to though, its their choice,just I shouldnt have to inhale their exhale if I dont want to. I also drink a few more than I should so Im not judging a smokers choice,I do agree with the taste smell thing though. And by the way try zinc sometimes. I swear I have intensified sense of smell whenever I take it. I like taking the louzenges more in winter to help stave off colds. I just notice I smell things where as normally I never smelled them before.
I think a smoker is missing out some as far as beer tastes. I do agree tastes/smells can be muted to a certain degree. And pretty shure its a clinical fact about appetite taste/smell with smoking which keeps appetite down.Lessoning the senses.

 

[Krovitz]

You just set us up to knock us down? Geez.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

While I also agree with the premise, there are a ton of chefs who also smoke but seem to have good palates.

 

[ggoodman]

I used to smoke and also notices when I stopped that food taste different. Now being in the medical field I can point you to specific blind case studies that proove this to be true. now that I live in AK where stogies are $10 a pack I could not imagine financing the habit not to mention the long term health care cost.

 

[Calichusetts]

This is no hypothesis...smoking greatly diminishes your sense of smell (a majority of what we perceive as taste) and our taste buds. Your story goes along well with many ex-smokers experiences

 

[nukebrewer]

Just another confirmation here. I'm only on my fourth cigarette free day and I already notice small changes in my perception of taste and smell. I don't smell or taste anything different in my beer yet, but the things I smelled and tasted when I was a smoker are more intense now that I've quit for several days. I hope this trend continues since I'm studying for the BJCP exam and want to have a very keen palate when I go to take it.

 

[glenn514]

I quit smoking...for the LAST time...eleven years ago. My senses of taste and smell have returned and I appreciate the odors and tastes of food and drink much more than when I smoked. And I am often amazed when my nose can pick out a smoker in a crowd of people, just because of the telltale aromas from the habit.

glenn514

 

[iambeer]

This is no hypothesis...smoking greatly diminishes your sense of smell (a majority of what we perceive as taste) and our taste buds. Your story goes along well with many ex-smokers experiences

If I did have a hypothesis it would be this:

Because smoking greatly diminishes your sense of smell according to authoritative source (Calichusetts, HBT 2012).... :cross: ...but seriously.. because hops impart sharp taste sensations in taste and smell, the majority of homebrewers who are smokers prefer strongly hopped beer. This is because these beers cause them to have a great sense experience, while low to moderately hopped beers are more subtle to taste sensations.

I like strongly hopped beers but because I don't love it above other beers, I am trying to make sense of why strongly hopped beers are such a big deal for people. And I'm guess the majority of them are smokers. Of course I'm sure many non-smokers have developed a taste for it, but I still don't know why they would hold it above other beer styles. And why the good beer shelves have so many heavily hopped beers.