Tastes: Supertasters, Normal Folks, and Everyone Else

[Milicent]

Science has shown us that some people have way more taste buds per square centimeter than others. Usually, this discussion focuses on chili peppers. However, I think it equally applies to rum if not every other taste out there.

One of my best friends can eat Habanero chili peppers without wincing but doesn't have a very sophisticated palate when it comes to rum. That isn't surprising since his ability to consume (without dying) incredibly spicy foods indicates he isn't a super-taster.

In this context (the variety among abilities to discern tastes), I am curious about how this affects individual's perspectives on spirits, particularly rum. If you are able to identify yourself as a super-taster, normal, or lighter-taster, I would like to know how you compare your own tastes in comparison with others.

What do you think? How much does this facet affect one's appreciation of rum?

[knight of the rum table]

I would say that although I can not eat real spicy things without it affecting me I still do not have a refined palate. I taste rums and normally only reach an overall conclusion to the taste. The only rum that I have experienced "layers" in is El Dorado 21. Every other rum I will pick up on the strongest flavor or flavors but they do not develop in my mouth. I also can not pick up on the softer flavors and certainly can not tell what kind of wood the aging barrell was made of.
I love rum but am not a refined taster. I think some of my love of rum is in the fact that rum has a fun "attitude".

It's a Rum Thing.

[Hank Koestner]

I could probably write a book on this topic, but I will keep this entry short. There are many variables as to what a specific indivdual can taste, some of them anatomic, some cultural, and some from perception, past experiences, expectations and personalities, likes and dislikes. I do believe that everyone can TRAIN thier palate to be more perceptive if they would like to.

[Scottes]

I consider myself a less-than-average taster. Far from super-taster. And I smoke.

But in the last couple years I've done a lot of exploring (trying new tastes), and experimenting (comparing tastes, and amounts of ingredients, and combinations). There's no doubt that I am better at tasting than I was a year ago.

[Edward Hamilton]

Anyone can train their palate to be a better taster. So how do you do it? Try different spirits, not just rum, take a lot of notes, and then compare notes with others. Over the years, I've participated in a number of tasting sessions at the Beverage Testing Institute (http://tastings.com) and have definitely refined my palate, but that was after spending years tasting rum in the islands. There are many ways to improve your tasting techniques but like Hank, that's another story.

[Dood]

I think that being a "super-taster" really just makes it easier to get started. A study in which I participated in college labeled me a super-taster, and I'm usually one of the first ones to say "Does anyone else taste XYZ in this?", but that's about all.

My brother participated in the same study and was labeled a non-super-taster. When I started writing rum reviews, he'd sit in as I did the tasting and after I said I tasted something in a rum, he'd look at me like I was crazy. After some discussion about flavors and doing more tastings with me, he's starting to notice things ahead of me - which brings me right back to everyone else's point that you can train yourself to find the flavors. IMO the additional taste buds really just give you a head-start...but like any tool, if you don't know what you're doing, you won't be doing much with it.

[angelsword]

I think that my natural tasting ability is average at best, at least compared to my wife's sense of smell. But I have tried to refine my sensibilities through just paying attention to detail.

[Carbon]

I think that my natural tasting ability is average at best, at least compared to my wife's sense of smell. But I have tried to refine my sensibilities through just paying attention to detail.
And don't forget smell and taste are very closely linked, so it's not just about your tongue when you guys try this stuff (as I'm sure you all know).

[The Scribe]

I am considered a "non-taster" and yet my tasting notes tend to be fairly similar to Dood's or Scottes's. Check out my website, as I'm doing a lot of rums this month (which is almost over, but I did: Cruzan Estate Light and Single Barrel, Mount Gay Eclipse, Appleton V/X, Pusser's, Meyer's Platinum, Wray & Nephew Overproof, Kuya Fusion, Sailor Jerry, El Dorado 15, and Temptryst Peachwood and Hickory, with Hickory to be posted tomorrow), and let me know if you're tasting anything I'm not. I have also discovered the glass makes a huge difference as comparing a single rum in a London dock glass and a Spirit Sipper's rum glass revealed completely different noses, and slightly different tastes.
Cheers. - S

[stockdoct]

Anyone can say "I taste hickory....." and no one can prove or disprove them. It makes things difficult. But, there is one way I'd find interesting to challenge everyone, and try to put a "number" on the terms "hyper-taster", etc. A blinded taste test! (this sounds like fun!)

Have a friend cover the following bottles:

Bacardi Superior (I'll have to purchase some, since I don't own any)
Metusalem Classico
Goslings Black Seal
Zaya
Captain Morgan
Appleton Extra or V/X
Mount Gay Extra Old
El Dorado 12 or 15
Pampero Anniversario
Cruzan Single Barrel, or Cruzan Dark
Coruba

A shot of each (numbered, with no name). Taste as often as you'd like, spit or swallow.

How many of the 11 can you correctly identify? Obviously, these are all on MY rum shelf and probably not on yours, but these are a VERY widely mixed flavor profiles, and I'd bet a decent taster could get them all right. Is there anyone who'd have missed more than one or two?

I think we should have a contest ----- the results would answer the original question better than anything else I can come up with. Try it with what YOU have in your rum closet, and share the results!

[rumdog007]

One of the misconceptions regarding "supertasters" is that those which have the higher density of tastebuds are also "better" tasters or more exacting identifiers of different tastes. What has been shown through experimentation is that supertasters are mostly overwhelmed by strong flavor or compounds. In one study, supertasters had problems, after months of practicing, identifying different flavors in 80+ proof Scotch. But, when the spirit was diluted, in many cases to half, they were really good at identification. This same exercise was repeated with spices, too. It was proposed that middle of the road tasters or "medium tasters" had an advantage. But, it was also found that many other factors played an even bigger role. Practice and experience were key. This is supported by many of this forum's member comments in this thread. Type of memory, visual, visceral, or analytical was one of the dominant factors determining whether a person can be a reliable food/spirit critic. Finally, of course, sense of smell helped a lot, too.

[Scottes]

A blinded taste test!
I did this last year. Out of 10 rums, I knew 9. I identified 3, but came close on 2 more. It ain't easy.

http://scottesrum.com/category/ramblings/identifying-rums-while-blindfolded/

[Edward Hamilton]

stockdoct made a very good point, just trying the rums on your rum shelf will yield some surprises.

When I was sailing full time, it wasn't uncommon for friends to try to stump me by asking me to identify different rums they poured into various glasses. As The Scribe points out, things taste different in different glasses. The sense of smell is irrevocably tied to the sense of taste. The position of your nose in relation to the glass will affect your perception of the spirit.

By continually tasting different rums from the various distilleries, I was able to identify or correctly guess the label of a glass of rum about 90% of the time. Then I discovered that rums vary from batch to batch and sometimes more than you might think possible. Only by continually tasting will you be able to improve your odds. Try stockdoct's exercise every week for a month and you should be able to score 100%. But the real bonus is that you'll have a better appreciation for other rums and spirits as well.

[bunnyhugs]

I'm supposedly a non-taster - though I swear Darcy somehow rigged the test.

But being honest. . . I'm not sure how useful the general labels are. I think some people's palates are sensitive to different things. Some people in the 'super-taster' group seem highly sensitive to bitterness but not at all sensitive to sweetness. So rather than a simple ranking of people's palates in terms of 'sensitivity' I guess people fall into various groups.

Also, as others have said I'm sure you can train your palate.

Finally, I think people just have different sensitivities to different type of drinks. For example I'm quite discriminating with tea, but generally find any coffee fine so long as its strong enough. Similarly, I find enormous variation in whiskey and rather less in rum.

I have a theory that rum and bourbon are spirits suited to super tasters, while Scotch is more for non tasters. Most rums and bourbons seem to be fairly subtle blends of flavors, whereas Scotch can be rather aggressive and jarring.

[ejellest]

Like others have said, it is a bit more complicated than simply whether you are a super taster or not.

It's interesting, I've run across folks I suspect were supertasters and there are whole classes of alcoholic beverages they just can't stand. Hoppy Beers, most Absinthes, many vermouths, bitters, etc.

To me, this means learning to appreciate the breadth of traditional mixed and alcoholic drinks is going to be more challenging for supertasters than for non-tasters or normal tasters.

It's also interesting to go through the corpus of traditional recipes and speculate about bartenders you suspect might have been supertasters. Victor Bergeron was extremely averse to bitters in cocktails. That and the style of drinks he created leads me to suspect that he may have been a super taster.

In any case, sensory perception is extremely complicated. How your brain interprets input is so tied in to things like memory, culture, and experience. Is a sensation pleasant or unpleasant? In America, we almost always say bitter flavors are unpleasant. Yet in Italy, they love bitter flavors.

~Erik

[Michael]

...
In any case, sensory perception is extremely complicated. How your brain interprets input is so tied in to things like memory, culture, and experience. Is a sensation pleasant or unpleasant? In America, we almost always say bitter flavors are unpleasant. Yet in Italy, they love bitter flavors.

~Erik

Thanks Erik for the interesting comments. Although we Americans generally abhor bitter, many of us have learned to appreciate their use in cocktails. Some cocktails require much more than the usual dash or two and yet have many devotees in this country.