Do you ever "re-set" your palate?

[flahute]

Last night was my first night home after two weeks of essentially bourbon free travel in China. Apart from a JBW on our last night and a Woodford on the plane (which tasted horrible, it made me wish for the previous night's JBW) I was alcohol free for most of the time away.

My first bourbon at home was the last pour of the Henry McKenna 10yr BIB which I had been trying to like but had decided was not for me. Last night, I tasted things I had not before and it has me reconsidering. I followed up with WTKS which I'm mediocre on to begin with and found that I liked it even less now. I generally drink a LOT of barrel proof / high proof bourbons so I wonder if it's possible that I don't taste lower proof bourbons quite the same in that context. Perhaps the time off allowed my taste buds to recover. It's also possible this is a "heart grows fonder" situation since I was cut off from consumption during that time.

Has this ever happened to you?

[Tony Santana]

Not drinking for two weeks? No.

[suntour]

I definitely do with barrel proofers. Makes me appreciate 86 proof whiskey again.

Sometimes I think that BP stuff has ruined me, hard to not find anything else seemingly watered down.

[jvd99]

Sometimes I'll switch to single malts exclusively for a while, but never stop drinking

[bin31z]

Yea, drink barrel proof makes 80 proof seem kinda muted in comparison. Bourbons in general make single malts kind of meh. I find the flavors in bourbon to be more intense and strong hitting and tends to overshadow the more delicate nature of single malts so I usually won't start a night with a barrel proof bourbon just the same way I won't start a single malt tasting with an Ardbeg or Lagavulin because the peat will mess with my senses if I go to a speyside after. But yes, if I stop drinking overall for a couple of days, it definitely seems to give me a new perspective when I start drinking again.

[Tony Santana]

I was (sort of) kidding with my earlier response. I think our tastes are changing (perhaps not drastically) all the time - so a sudden fondness for Henry McKenna may or may not be related to a lay off for a period of time. But I do think the move from barrel proofers to a lower proof has an effect. I've been drinking more barrel proofers lately, and if I drop down to something 90 proof or less it better have some bold flavors on its own or it will seem muted.

[Richnimrod]

What Tony S said...

The barrel proof offerings are frequently so full and satisfying (over-powering, even?) with the flavors and mouthfeel they provide, that we can become inured to the rather subtle ones (at least by comparison) in more 'ordinary' brands. I have had several occasions when I've been 'off bourbon' for more than a few days, and do find that I experience a difference when I return to America's Spirit. I would never leave my first love on purpose, just to have that experience, however. Just my own opinion, of course.

[GaryT]

I have noticed that if I take a couple weeks off, my taste buds do seem to bee hyper sensitive and I seem to enjoy my lower-proof bottles more than I normally do. Or, it is a "heart grows fonder" scenario - but either way, I've had the same experience.

[scubadoo97]

You mean reset like if you're starving even shit on a shingle taste good?

[sutton]

I doing it now ... with some Laphroaig 18

I just get away from it for awhile - Armagnac, rum, tequila, scotch, or nothing at all (horrors!) ... all generally lower proof than bourbon.

On a side note, if I'm drinking wine I can rarely enjoy spirits afterwards. So those are the "nothing at all" occasions that give the palate a break.

[fishnbowljoe]

Short answer, yes. Long answer, (no comment Vosgar) yes, but in a couple of different ways.

Not really resetting, but I try to keep several bottles open so I won't get too used to just one or two particular bourbons over a certain amount of time. I will say however, that I always try to keep a couple of my favorites open that I know I can rely on. For me, having offerings open that are "different", seems to keep my palate fresher. My example of different; Four Roses Single Barrel, Buffalo Trace, a barrel proofer, a BIB, and a wheater.

As for actual resetting, there are times that regardless of what, or how often I pour, I get the feeling that everything tastes a little off/flat, or that maybe my palate is burnt out. That's when I'll take a break from bourbon. I might have a beer or something else, or maybe nothing at all for a few days. When I come back to bourbon, it seems my palate is rejuvenated, and things are back to normal.

And that's about all I have to say about that. :grin:

Cheers! Joe

Edited October 23, 2014 by fishnbowljoe

[Flyfish]

I find that my palate resets itself with the seasons the same way that we turn to "comfort food" in the fall and winter. For me, 4R YL is strictly a summer bourbon the way vinho verde is a summer wine. This time of year, I am looking for something richer and more full-bodied taken neat; e.g., Booker's, KC SB, or EC BP.