Post #683936 by djmont on Sat, Jun 29, 2013 2:15 PM

There are definitely a lot of Tiki drinks that taste similar, as a result of containing the same or very similar ingredients. So if you don't have much experience with them, you probably won't be able to discern much difference. Similarly, to a novice drinker, a Gin Martini and a Vodka Martini might taste pretty much the same. But to anyone who knows their spirits or drinks Martinis, the flavor profiles are actually quite different and easy to discern.

Identifying and differentiating flavors, either singularly or in combination, isn't something that you can do right off the bat. It does take some practice and some effort to analyze what you're tasting. A lot of people, of course, have no desire to do that, and that's perfectly fine. After all, the primary point of drinking is to enjoy it!

I agree with the above posters, though, that drinks like a Mai Tai, a Navy Grog, a Singapore Sling, a Pain Killer, a Daiquiri, a Pina Colada, a Zombie or so many others don't taste very much alike.

And while it's true that a lot of wine drinkers can't tell cheap from expensive, I wouldn't put much stock in the claim that the experts can't tell. Robert Parker might be insufferable, but I'd bet good money he could tell you the difference between Chateau Lafite and Two Buck Chuck.

(Also, don't confuse expensive/cheap with good/bad. The scales aren't exact equivalents.)

Welcome aboard!