Acquiring a taste

m.j.w

I like to try different beers every now and then, probably no where near as many as the folk in here but after reading about all the belgian beers I picked up some Hoegaarden and Leffe beer. I have to say I found them absoloutly disgusting, especially the Leffe beer. The spiced taste in the leffe beer was rotten. I wouldnt be that picky but I had to give bottles away as I just couldnt drink them. Just wondering did people who like it acquire a taste for it or like it from the get go.

drunkmonkey

Neither of them are nice to be honest, try some of the Irish craft beers there a lot nicer, I've drank hogarden a few times on draught and it always reminds me of sloppy dishwater, leffe is ok but again not to everyone's taste.
Hit one of the craft bars and you should have no bother getting a taste for something.

BeerNut

Those two are both fairly innocuous mass-appeal beers. I'm surprised at the vehement reaction.

What do you normally like, OP?

adamski8

Yeah, maybe give us examples of beers you do like!

BaZmO*

drunkmonkey wrote: »

Neither of them are nice to be honest..

"in your opinion"

You missed out that very important part.

drunkmonkey wrote: »

leffe is ok but again not to everyone's taste.

Exactly. Not everything is to everybody's tastes, that doesn't make it bad, or not nice.

OP, it could be just that those particular styles aren't to your tastes, and no matter how developed your palate gets you could probably still not like them.

The only way to develop different tastes is to keep trying different things. I've had beers that are generally described as world class but I haven't liked them, and likewise, I've had beers that most people have described as muck that I've loved.

As for an acquired taste, it can be the case in a lot of instances. There are lots of drinks and foods, and music for that matter, that I've tried and haven't liked only to have them at a later stage and come to really like them. It's just about experimenting and working with what you like and building on that.

squonk

I definitely second that. I was at a beer tasting with a friend of mine last week and we both knew going in that we were partial to some different types of beer in some cases. When it came to the Hoegaarden type beer that we were given, she hated what we were drinking where as I was like, nom nom! It worked the other way round with some of the other beers as well but it's amazing the variation of sensitivies people have to different tasts and compositions. I'd highly recommend doing a bit of tasting of different types of beers. Even pop into a beer house type place and get some samples to get you going. There is so much beer out there and so many varieties that you're certain to come across styles and manufacturers you love.

Frankie Lee

When I first tried a Leffe Blond a few years ago I was unable to drink it mainly because I was not used to pale ales and the fact it was so sweet and spicy didn't help.
I tried it again a few months ago and could appreciate it properly.

Carawaystick

There's coriander in Hoegarden, some people have a gene that reacts to the taste of it.

Zulu

Hoegarden has changed in recent years. It's not as nice as it was (imo).
Leffe is a great beer, though.

Dunno OP, maybe tell us what you like and take it from there?

innominat

Zulu wrote: »

Hoegarden has changed in recent years. It's not as nice as it was (imo).

I thought I imagined it!! I drank Hoegaarden back in 2008 and thought it was ok.
Just recently I tried it again as I saw it in Lidl and this time around I found it to be quite poor.

Martyn1989

BaZmO* wrote: »

"in your opinion"

You missed out that very important part.

Why do people have to add 'IMO' to make their opinion around here, of course its his opinion, hes making it.

OP theres a craft beer out there for everyone, the diversity in beer is huge. If you are interested in trying new beers and finding the ones you like here is a great place to start and everyone here would be glad to help.

Fact is, everyone likes different things, some people love the more complex beers, some the simpler ones and some try alot of craft beer and still prefer macro lagers (believe I met one once).

BaZmO*

Martyn1989 wrote: »

Why do people have to add 'IMO' to make their opinion around here, of course its his opinion, hes making it.

They don't, but when someone makes a blanket statement of something being not nice without giving a particular reason, it gives the impression that it's the general consensus, which is not the case. It's especially not helpful if someone is asking for advice.

Martyn1989

BaZmO* wrote: »

They don't, but when someone makes a blanket statement of something being not nice without giving a particular reason, it gives the impression that it's the general consensus, which is not the case. It's especially not helpful if someone is asking for advice.

I don't see it that way but no matter, I will keep adding IMO to avoid the wrath

BaZmO*

Martyn1989 wrote: »

I don't see it that way but no matter, I will keep adding IMO to avoid the wrath

Ah it's just a pet hate of mine.

Zulu

innominat wrote: »

I thought I imagined it!! I drank Hoegaarden back in 2008 and thought it was ok.
Just recently I tried it again as I saw it in Lidl and this time around I found it to be quite poor.

Nah, I'm fairly sure they've changed it for the mass market, it's very bland in recent years.

...both of us can't be wrong

BaZmO*

Zulu wrote: »

Nah, I'm fairly sure they've changed it for the mass market, it's very bland in recent years.

...both of us can't be wrong

I picked up a 4 pack in Lidl last week and I thought it had changed also. It seemed a bit thinner with less flavour from what I remembered. That's not to say that it has changed, it's just that it different to what I remember it being.

Zulu

...well that's 3 for 3, what are the odds we're wrong?

BaZmO*

Zulu wrote: »

...well that's 3 for 3, what are the odds we're wrong?

I'd say quite high!

IrishWhiskeyCha

I still like the Ho but yes it seems to have changed to me too. Much more light and easy drinking as already said. I think they "re-engineered" it to enable straight from the bottle drinking. Used there be a small bit of sediment in it before???

Love Leffe too, this is a great beer when I'm in the form but I would not drink one after the other out of these 2 beers.

Aquiring a taste is well with in every ones reach, they just need to give themselves time. You may never like all beers but with the right attitude you'll enjoy the journey. I was a single brand whiskey drinker 20 years ago and hated smokey peated scotches now I drink them all (Irish, Scotch, US, Japan European, World) but I still would have certain whiskies that I just don't like. Some people love big bold flavours immediately others take time to build up to them. But once you educate your palate (not that I'm an expert or anything) you'll find that you'll start to notice subtle differences too and just the big obvious ones.

Some people are naturally able to break down what they are tasting others may need a bit more effort and the best part practice ;-)

OldBean

It's definitely a weaker tasting beer than previously. I tried it recently as a 'best of a bad lot' choice and it was more carbonated, but weaker in taste than a few years ago.


OP, I would advise you go to a good local off licence, which you're probably find on Beoir.ie or worst case scenario, your nearest Tesco, Supervalue or SuperQuinn and get a selection of stouts, standard ales, indian pale ales, red ales and lagers. If you go to a good off licence, one that specialises in craft beer, they should be able to tell you which would be great for someone wanting to try everything. Apart from Belgians. From the sounds of it, you won't be a fan, but then, neither am I...

Being able to define flavours and mouthfeel is part of acquiring a taste, but enjoying a beer isn't. When you find what type(s) of beer you like, and which brewers you love, you won't look back. Learning is probably the best part of the whole experience though, because once you get into it, you'll never look back. Or be able stomach 'standard' lagers again.

gurramok

Hoegaarden is too sweet and is sweeter than Leffe, i could not drink pints of the stuff. I think for the OP to get used to Leffe, perhaps drink any of the wheat beers like the well known Erdinger first as Erdinger is a tad sweet to teh established drinker, its like baby steps