The Persistence of Memory

In a discussion with my brother I discovered a friend of ours had a disagreement with a critique of a beer.  I took offense immediately!  How dare someone question my almighty judgment?  Realistically, we are all beer judges in our own right so no offense was really taken.  It has probably been stated several times over these posts that your own individual taste will dictate which direction you will steer your beer buying mechanism.

The reason this particular incident is being shared is because the beer in question is a porter.  When it comes to a beer style I really enjoy and take my time admiring I have to wonder why a difference of opinion really exists.  I made the claim that the brew was average and our friend really believes it is a damn fine beer.  I cannot deny that, but I am wondering why I cannot recall the taste of the beer without referring to my own notes.

This is where my title comes in.  I have to agree with myself (shocking I know!) that it is an average beer simply because I cannot recall how it tastes.  The sense of smell has the strongest memory of our five and with its close association to taste I have to believe taste to be second in command when it comes to recall.  I can review Miller Lite, Bud Light, Coors Light, Corona, Summer Shandy, Michelob Golden Draft, etc. without ever having to have a bottle or can in front of me because I've consumed it so many times that the smell, taste, and even look are programmed into my brain.  Some beers that I've tried only once still tickle my taste buds by invoking their name because they were that damn good.

The title of Dali's painting really has nothing to do with the subject matter, his or mine.  However, it is my favorite piece of art and by name alone I can picture the painter's subject matter and every detail behind it.  The same should go with beer.  Of course, when you name your beer "Porter" you almost are asking for it to be average.