How did you learn to appreciate subtle flavors in beer?

I'm a fan of good dark beers. I like the thick, malty flavor. But other than that, it's hard for me to differentiate the subtleties. How long did it take you to learn to really tell differences between similar beers? Mainly I can only tell when a dark beer is really chocolatey, or coffee-like. Otherwise it's tough for me to differentiate any flavors.|||Good question. The best way to do it is to try a variety of different lagers, ales, stouts, etc and contrast and compare. My local brewery, Saranac, offers variety packs where you can try various beers. The key about "appreciating" the subtle favors is to not become a "beer snob." Everyone knows the wine snob cliche, and nobody likes a beer snob lol.





But seriously, besides the chocolate nature of dark beers, you also want to look for head, hoppiness, aroma, and finish (amongst other things). Being a fan of dark beers, you might like the strong flavor of hops in a pale ale. It's crisp, has a bit of a bite, but finishes smooth. But keeping these things in mind will definitely help you appreciate subtle flavors, or at least keep them in mind when trying new beers.





Hope this helps, and cheers!|||Trial and error, also by refusing to drink watered-down swill like Bud + anything Light.