How's your palate memory?

[Flyfish]

I used to keep a tasting journal until everything started to sound alike. You know--some caramel, vanilla, baking spices, a touch of citrus, barely detectable floral, anise, honey, char, chocolate, coffee. All the usual suspects kept turning up again and again, just in slightly different order so what was the point of recording it? Besides, a bourbon that tasted one way on Tues. tasted different on Thur. even within the broad descriptors.

My Big Three regular pours used to be AAA 10YO, OWA, and VOB BIB YO. AAA is gone except for a couple bottles bunkered for a special occasion. Have not seen an OWA for more than a year. Am currently enjoying VOB #6, the replacement for 6YO. Does its flavor profile match 6YO exactly? I don't know. Don't have both for a SBS. Does it matter? Perhaps not because the NAS still tastes pretty good to me regardless.

Some SBers seem to have exceptional palate memory. You can recall the precise flavor of a bourbon a friend gave you a half shot of in 1972 and compare it favorably (typically) with its current iteration. What is your secret? Is it a genetic predisposition toward exquisite flavor differentiation or do you have a specific technique for tasting and filing away in your memory banks? I hope it is the latter because that would mean it is a skill that the rest of us might learn with sufficient practice. I, for one, am willing to practice.

[garbanzobean]

The trick I use is to make up pretentious sounding flavors that cannot possibly exist in bourbon. That way everyone assumes my palate is more advanced than theirs and they don't question me.

Seriously though, I am interested in this as well. I'm concerned that the most common answer is going to be a keen palate and lots of experience, because I'm probably not tall enough to ride that ride . . .

[Richnimrod]

because I'm probably not tall enough to ride that ride . . .

HA! Yeah, me too. My short answer is this...

I think some lucky few folks have the right genetics, and maybe have had the best breaks with experience and/or training to be really perceptive, as well as descriptive about the nuances of their Bourbon experiences... nose as well as palate.

Then there's the bulk of drinkers (most of us I assume), who fall somewhere on a continuum that stretches pretty far down the scale in those abilities. I do believe that one can 'train' one's palate/nose to be better at catching, and thus more able to describe the nuances encountered over time. A coach with experience and some talent along these lines would be a boon, I'm sure. There are, I'm sure some that will come a long way 'up' that scale with the right training.

I do not believe myself to be among 'em, however. I'm satisfied, having traveled my path upward, at least a long enough distance to be able to describe some of the traits that I can pick out.

I'm also becoming convinced that the enjoyment of the dram before me isn't greatly enhanced by expending the effort to do so. IMHO.

[garbanzobean]

I get a lot of enjoyment from figuring out flavors that I can't immediately identify. Beyond that, I don't do much in the way of tasting notes. I try to write them into the "what are you drinking now" type threads in case some poor fool googles a given spirit and decides to listen to me. Or if I think it'll help me identify other whiskies I may enjoy. Otherwise I try not to take myself too seriously.

[dSculptor]

I believe it's just like anything else....repetition. If you drink the same juice over and over again, you know what it tastes like or what it's supposed to taste like. When you have a pour of something unusual or outside your norm, then it becomes much more difficult the next time to try and remember that taste, depending on the interval of tasting it again. I just had that experience last weekend, my buddy gave me a pour of CEHT rye... couldn't guess it, even with all the bottles in front of me, the last time I had it was months ago, I do remember I liked it, but couldn't get it this time. We are building his bar room, and he will pour me one when I'm not looking and see if I can get it, It's a lot easier when you can see all the choices in front of you, seems to have more of a connection with your buds.

[Xevious]

The trick I use is to make up pretentious sounding flavors that cannot possibly exist in bourbon. That way everyone assumes my palate is more advanced than theirs and they don't question me.

Yeah I feel like I'm missing something when I don't even know what the flavors are that people are describing.

[MTNBourbon]

For me it's more of a list of what I've had so far (reviews), but I do know what I like and dislike to a great degree. Yes, to me bourbon is pretty similar for the most part. Beers are a totally different ballgame to me. Within in styles it's pretty similar to a degree also. Drink what you like, Do not drink what you do not like.

[The Black Tot]

My understanding of bourbon reviewing has moved forward by leaps and bounds after I bought a piece of leather to taste and started chewing tobacco. To be more sensitive to tannins, I also got a tan.

[Richnimrod]

My understanding of bourbon reviewing has moved forward by leaps and bounds after I bought a piece of leather to taste and started chewing tobacco. To be more sensitive to tannins, I also got a tan.

Tot, you are a dedicated individual. Mt hat is off to you sir!

[Enoch]

When I started drinking wine with my brother-in-law he would set up flights that had distinct overpowering flavours like J.Lohr for buttery so I began to know what to look for. As for whiskey I have not been so lucky. I cannot really pick out a lot of the flavours like leather??? Etc. I wish it were possible to set up a tasting where the flavour was very distinct. I know some whiskies have a taste I like but cannot really identify it.

[El Vino]

"genetic predisposition toward exquisite flavor differentiation"

I LOVE that phrase!

[smokinjoe]

Hmm. How is my palate memory ?...

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[fishnbowljoe]

Hmm. How is my palate memory ?...

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[Flyfish]

CRS disease not only imparts itself into ones regular memory, but ones palate memory as well. That is, IIRC. :crazy:

The great thing about CRS Disease is that after a while you forget you have it and everything is wonderful again.

[393foureyedfox]

mine's not that great. some things i can immediately identify, like Bookers or Dickel.....others, not so much. For example, depending on which label youre referring to, I can often mistake HH profiles with WT profiles (HMCKBIB and WT101)

other things make no logical sense. even though in my last blind tasting, I marginally put OGDBIB over WT101, when I know what they are, I dont enjoy the OGDBIB.

[Flyfish]

mine's not that great. some things i can immediately identify, like Bookers or Dickel.....others, not so much. For example, depending on which label youre referring to, I can often mistake HH profiles with WT profiles (HMCKBIB and WT101)

Interesting. I have never found a close similarity between HMCK BIB and WT101. Will have to do a SBS. (Any excuse will do.)

[dSculptor]

Right now my palette memory is that this PHC8 is exactly like I remembered it.....excellent!!!

[troyce]

My palate memory dissipates considerably after the 5th pour.

[smokinjoe]

My palate memory dissipates considerably after the 5th pour.

[emr454]

I cannot really pick out a lot of the flavours like leather???

I don't normally pick this up as a flavor, but an hour or so after my last pour of certain bourbons I detect a leather scent in the empty glass.

[callmeox]

My palate memory is great. Back when we did the Bourbonian Taster competitions I could pick out my frequent pours like FRSB and VOB BiB with ease. Consume enough of something and I believe that the nuances become very familiar.

[Flyfish]

My palate memory is great. Back when we did the Bourbonian Taster competitions I could pick out my frequent pours like FRSB and VOB BiB with ease. Consume enough of something and I believe that the nuances become very familiar.

Yes, it can be like recognizing Mother's cooking. But the focus of the OP was memory. Not can you identify this or that but can you recall how "this" tasted 5 or 10 years ago. Everyone could tell that the New Coke didn't taste like Coke Classic but can you tell VOB#6 from VOB 6YO based on memory alone?