Tasting things in commercial beer you have never tasted before homebrewing

[Remos112]

Ok I find this very hard to explain but here goes....
In the past I would just drink commercial beer and be happy with it. But since I started homebrewing this no longer works. Whenever I taste beer I am instantly in an analyzing mode trying to figure out what is in it. And as a result I taste a lot more flavors, does this make any sense? Currently I am sipping an Amstel Pilsener wich I always though was just another dutch beer. But wow it is so full of taste now. Am I on to something here or did they just change the recipe? lol looking forward to your thoughts

 

[heywolfie1015]

Totally understand. It's the result of the education of your palate. Chefs often describe the same phenomenon. Once you start learning about the art of food preparation and how small differences in things like ingredient choice or preparation can affect the greater whole, you start to notice the layers of flavor and what makes a good dish and what makes a great dish. Learning to analyze flavor also trains you to appreciate the great examples of certain types of food (or, here, drink). You're in a whole new world now!

Enjoy!

 

[csurowiec]

This is totally normal. I have been a beer nerd waaaay longer than I have been a home brewer and I started analyzing beers more when I started brewing. I will taste a beer somewhere and start telling my wife what malts and hops were used and she immediately gives me one of those looks.

 

[Remos112]

Makes sense. I am a pretty good cook too if I say so myself and in most dishes I eat the analyzing starts from the first bite. Guess I have that with beer now too.

 

[thehaze]

Ok I find this very hard to explain but here goes....
In the past I would just drink commercial beer and be happy with it. But since I started homebrewing this no longer works. Whenever I taste beer I am instantly in an analyzing mode trying to figure out what is in it. And as a result I taste a lot more flavors, does this make any sense? Currently I am sipping an Amstel Pilsener wich I always though was just another dutch beer. But wow it is so full of taste now. Am I on to something here or did they just change the recipe? lol looking forward to your thoughts

I do analyze and perceive commercial beer differently, but those commercial beers I have tried and rarely drink ( parties, different gatherings - not by will ) do come off as being worse than they were in the beginning.

And that is especially true - for me at least - with pilseners and lagers and other commercial styles available everywhere.

 

[kh54s10]

I don't actually sit and think of the ingredients, more of just a comparison. How is this IPA different in taste and aroma than mine?

I find that more and more, I am disappointed with commercial beers. Especially with ones that come with a big reputation. I heard of Fat Tire years before I was able to get one... What a let down. Mediocre beer, IMO.

 

[Remos112]

I don't actually sit and think of the ingredients, more of just a comparison. How is this IPA different in taste and aroma than mine?

I find that more and more, I am disappointed with commercial beers. Especially with ones that come with a big reputation. I heard of Fat Tire years before I was able to get one... What a let down. Mediocre beer, IMO.

Sounds familiar somewhat. I once set out to make a Hoegaarden verboden vruchten clone as I was in love with that beer. and succeeded very well Then some time later I ordered one at the bar and thought. What was all the fuzz about? this beer is not THAT sepecial in fact it was somewhat boring compared to what I made it up to be while cloning and tasting the clone. I guess taste evolves too!

 

[day_trippr]

I have become hypercritical of "bought" beer over the last many years.
My inner analyst can't help but consider every aspect of what I'm drinking.
It's almost enough to keep my out of start-up brewpubs and micros.

Honest to Big Hairy Thunderer, the last place I tried needed a stern talking to...

Cheers!

 

[seatazzz]

I will try to play the "hop guessing" game with a new beer at times. For the most part if we find something we like in a commercial beer I'll go to the interwebs to see if 1) the brewery lists the ingredients, and 2) if someone has successfully cloned it yet. I also like to try to identify the malts but I'm not very good at it.

 

[Rob2010SS]

I will try to play the "hop guessing" game with a new beer at times. For the most part if we find something we like in a commercial beer I'll go to the interwebs to see if 1) the brewery lists the ingredients, and 2) if someone has successfully cloned it yet. I also like to try to identify the malts but I'm not very good at it.

That's funny you say that because I've been catching myself doing the same thing. I literally just bottled my first batch so I'm not trying to guess the type of hop yet, but more so, just carefully pay attention to the flavors - how bitter is it, is the aroma strong or weak, what's the flavor like in comparison to the bitter. When I find something that I like or that I find interesting, I try and look it up to see what details I can find out about it.

To the OP, I definitely analyze the beer I'm drinking a heck of a lot more now. It's interesting how that works. I was just drinking a Pseudo Sue last night doing that, wondering about the brew schedule for that beer and what times the hop additions were at.

Good stuff.

 

[pepindavid]

What I find is that I am less easily "impressed" by commercial beers: some beers that I thought were awesome before I started homebrewing are now somewhat underwhelming (lack of flavor, out of balance, or just "meh"). On the other hand, when I am impressed by a beer (be it macro, craft or home brewed), I now have a greater appreciation of the craft behind.

It certainly changed the way I taste beer, how approach the tasting, the different layers, etc. My palate is not that great, so I can't easily identify specific hops or malts, though. At least not yet.