[beersk]

I don't know how many of y'all get this, but I feel like I'm especially susceptible to it. It seems more prominent with IPAs. I have a nice one on tap with Nelson Sauvin, Mosaic, and Citra, it's nice and fruity. The first half of the pint smells and tastes great but after a bit, I start to not be able to taste or smell those nice hops.  Or I start second guessing whether the beer tastes how it should or not.  Does anyone else ever go through this? It's driving me mad!

I had a co2 gas line contamination issue a while back where I found mold in one of my disconnects and white flecks of stuff in my gas lines. This was causing hoppy beers to turn to Werther's Ale. I disassembled everything, cleaned and hung dried, and haven't had issues since. But I'm traumatized from 2 years of ruined IPAs.  There's no reason the beer should be going south.  The system should be clean.

So, having said that, I think I have palate fatigue. Sometimes all I taste is the bitterness of the hops and can't really smell or taste them. It happens and probably means I should just not drink IPA everyday.  Your palate is really affected by the setting you're in, your expectations of the beer, the mood you're in, etc.  I feel like I'm crazy for thinking all this.  Does anyone else experience this?

[morticaixavier]

try sniffing some cracked coffee beans when that happens.

After a while of smelling/tasting the same thing olfactory overload will occur and your brain will just stop paying attention. For some reason I am not able to speculate on a sniff of coffee beans will reset your olfactory senses and you will be able to smell everything like new.

[beersk]

Hmm, I'll try that. I think I definitely get sensory overload and am unable to smell and taste subtleties, even throughout a pint. It's maddening. I hope to someday get over that traumatizing experience of bad beer after bad beer.

[blatz]

Have some malty beers for a while...

[HoosierBrew]

Have some malty beers for a while...

That's what I do. I love hops and IPA as much as anybody, but it's easy to get sensory overload.  I always brew something malty after an IPA.

[beersk]

I get that I probably have a sensory overload. But do you guys start not being able to taste/smell the hop profile very well after having the same beer everyday for a bit? I know it's there, but then I lose it...
It's just annoying.

[joe_feist]

+1 to just changing things up. Pale Ales and IPAs are my favorite brews. Folks in my neighborhood lean the same way. I spent most of this year really foused on improving my IPA. Two batches/montyh for 7 or 8 months.

Had to take a brake. I've since brewed a roggenbier, ESB and stout. Interestingly, I noticed more coffee and chocolate in my stout than ever before. I guess it works in both directions...

[HoosierBrew]

I get that I probably have a sensory overload. But do you guys start not being able to taste/smell the hop profile very well after having the same beer everyday for a bit? I know it's there, but then I lose it...
It's just annoying.

 Yep.  Not every batch, but occasionally. On my last IPA I poured one a couple times and felt like the aroma was great but not strong enough, like it had faded prematurely.  Now this was a beer I dryhopped with 6 oz !  Each time a day or two later, I poured one and the aroma was big, where it had been all along. Mood, fatigue, sinus/allergy issues all definitely play into it for me.

[bluesman]

Have some malty beers for a while...

This.

...and/or I find that a good Munich Helles or other similar malty beer really cleanses the palate after a very hoppy beer. Try it sometime.

[klickitat jim]

Much of taste is from aroma. Fresh poured has more smellem.

[beersk]

Glad I'm not the only one. I guess it never seems like my nose is completely clear. Luckily, Ron, I have a Munich helles that is about to go into the lagering stage. Yummmmmm...

Palate cleansing only works to an extent for me. If I have something spicy or highly flavored with garlic or something, my palate is ruined for the evening.

[Joe Sr.]

This is why I rotate kegs.  They don't need to stay in the kegerator til you kill em.

I need to rotate what I have now, but I keep hoping someone will come over and kill the keg of pumpkin.

Consequently, I've been drinking more wine...

[beersk]

This is why I rotate kegs.  They don't need to stay in the kegerator til you kill em.

I need to rotate what I have now, but I keep hoping someone will come over and kill the keg of pumpkin.

Consequently, I've been drinking more wine...

That's true, I suppose. Although, I guess I'm just too lazy to do that. I guess I could drink on a keg until I get tired of it, then put something else on. But I could also just not drink IPA every day either. I suppose that would keep my palate fresh for the hoppier beers.

[mugwort]

On my last IPA I poured one a couple times and felt like the aroma was great but not strong enough, like it had faded prematurely.  Now this was a beer I dryhopped with 6 oz !  Each time a day or two later, I poured one and the aroma was big, where it had been all along. Mood, fatigue, sinus/allergy issues all definitely play into it for me.

How true.  About half an hour into my IPA I'll be doubting its intensity of aroma hoppiness and wondering if it's really this restrained.  A little time away from it and it's back baby.

I am oh so thankful this also happens when I drink really intense commercial IPA's.

[klickitat jim]

Palette cleanse with ice water. Need to hydrate anyway