On Sunday we went to the Museum of Science in Boston and there was an exhibit where they give you a PTC test strip for tasting. It is a simple test to see if you have a trait that allows you to perceive PTC as bitter. Most people (about 75%) can’t taste it but it did taste bitter to me. To my surpise my wife did not taste anything at all even though she thinks even the least bitter beers are too bitter for her. Here is a nice link: http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/begin/traits/ptc/
Though I don’t think I’m a super taster it may explain why I don’t like overly bitter beers and why I tend to prefer more balanced or malty beers. Yes, I do love a good IPA, but the east coast or English styles which are lower in bitterness.
Likewise about doing this PTC test as a child with no remembrance of the results or its significance.
In regards to beer, there’s the often-mentioned variability in people’s abililty to detect diacetyl (aroma and flavor).
But it got me thinking: are there different genes for receptors for sweetness, particularly the artificial sweetners (e.g., saccharin-Nutrasweet, aspartame-Equal, sucralose–Splenda, and all the others like stevia or xylitol)?
I suspect that there are. For example, I simply cannot stand the taste of Nutrasweet due to the extreme bitterness.
I also struggle sometimes with Munich malts (e.g., Maibocks) as being overly sweet, while other BJCP judges simply call it “malty.”