# Is it just my palate, or what? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** beer, wine\ **Created:** [July 1, 2025, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-my-palate-or-what/1020336 "2025-07-01T05:34:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DaveUnknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@DaveUnknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaveUnknown)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2025, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-my-palate-or-what/1020336/21 "2025-07-02T21:29:03Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > But, yes, skunk flavor and smell is obvious I think hops are a distant cousin to marijuana? I feel Ive read that somewhere, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2025, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-my-palate-or-what/1020336/22 "2025-07-02T21:30:31Z")
> [@DaveUnknown](#): > > I think hops are a distant cousin to marijuana? I feel Ive read that somewhere, anyway. > **[Hops and cannabinoids](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hops_and_cannabinoids)** > > Research has shown that Humulus lupulus (the plant that makes hops) and Cannabis sativa (also called hemp and marijuana) are closely related,\[a\] and it may be possible to create novel cultivars of hops that express valuable chemicals similar to commercial hemp. Both hops and cannabis contain terpenes and terpenoids; tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is a terpenoid. Hops lack the enzyme that could convert cannabigerolic acid into THC or CBD, but it could be inserted using genetic engineering This Cannab... ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 2, 2025, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-my-palate-or-what/1020336/23 "2025-07-02T21:48:58Z")
> [@Sitnam](#): > > “Skunky” and “Corked” are a thing and they denote something wrong. “Corked” for sure, and in general, it’s not hard to tell when wine has gone bad. But there’s an interesting thing about a subtle kind of “skunky” in certain reds that I discovered over the years. If you know what to look for and it’s relatively subtle – perhaps more accurately described as a slight mustiness – it may just be an indication that you’re about to enjoy a terrific, robust bottle of red wine that just needs to breathe for a while. A wine aerator can help speed things along. If the skunkiness disappears after a short period of breathing, you’ve likely got yourself a fine bottle of interesting and probably complex wine. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-my-palate-or-what/1020336/24 "2025-07-03T12:50:45Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > drinkers have associated the light-struck flavor of it with the brand (and I thought it was Corona), I think Corona’s the poster-child for skunkiness. So much so, that I found this quote from an old Reddit thread through some googling: > I remember a few years ago in Austin, Little Brother did a collab with St. Elmo for a Mexican lager and they intentionally light struck it, running it through a UV light before packaging. Fantastic beer. And having had fresh, un-light struck Corona in Mexico once, it was a revelation. It wasn’t the same beer that we get in the US- there’s _that_ much skunk aroma to it. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 3, 2025, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-my-palate-or-what/1020336/25 "2025-07-03T12:56:20Z")
Yeah, clear bottle will do that. Now, maybe this is yet another UL I heard, but I’ve been told that the whole lime wedged in the Corona bottle combination was intentionally marketed to help offset that skunked flavor and scent. Of course, it could just simply be that in Mexico a lot of drinks are served with lime. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-just-my-palate-or-what/1020336.md?page=1)