Is an "acquired taste" really worth it?

[sotnsipper]

Well, I think some of you misinterpreted my post as being about 'chugging' high-proof liquor -- and I'm used to that. It was not, but Chuck got it -- and I'm used to that, too.
My point was, primarily, that whisk(e)y, including bourbon, isn't a natural drink for humans, whatever the proof. Virtually nobody 'likes' one's first taste of un-diluted bourbon!
But, one comes to appreciate it through practice. Practice also cultivates a sense of properties -- you come to understand what whisk(e)y/bourbon is about, and what to expect and enjoy about particular versions of it.
Thus, tasting and appreciating our native spirit is definitely an "acquired taste". You don't really 'like' it, at first, but you come to appreciate its qualities with practice and experience. The same holds true for particular brands/labels.
How is that different, really, than opera or the symphony? (Other than hangover, I mean.)

I got what you were trying to say. I was originally meaning more like if there is one particular bottle or brand that just does not set right with you or that everyone tells you that it is an acquired taste. I do know bourbon as a whole was a tad to the strong side when I first tried it. I would believe all alcohol would fit into the acquired taste category. I never really thought about that while posting though. Thanks for the input.

[cowdery]

"It's an acquired taste" is always a ephemism, not an expression with a precise meaning in it's own right. If somebody uses it, you need to find out what that specific person means by it, because what they mean may be different from what somebody else means when they say it.

If that person is talking about specific products within a category, specific brands or even specific expressions of brands, that person may be refering to what is, also euphemistically, known as a challenging whiskey. Often in bourbon-speak, these are very old products. In scotch people will say that about heavily peated whiskeys. It generally means (a) unfamiliar, and (b) intense.

But "it's an acquired taste" almost always means, "you might like it if you get used to it." But, in truth, the "might" means you also might not.

But sometimes when people say "it's an acquired taste," what they're thinking is, "you're a wuss."

[funknik]

But sometimes when people say "it's an acquired taste," what they're thinking is, "you're a wuss."

Chuck, you almost made me choke! Well said, sir!