Why bottled beer tastes different than draft beer

Some beer consumers manage to perceive a difference in taste between draft beer and bottled beer. This difference in taste may be real, even though the beer in both containers was brewed the same way.

There are several reasons why you may notice a different taste in bottled beer and in draft beer, here are some of them:

1. The keg protects the beer from light

Beer should be stored in a cool, dark place with a constant temperature. Unlike bottles, kegs protect the beer from light, allowing the drink to be better preserved. Light is the enemy of beer, when it penetrates the bottle, it can affect the hops and with it the smell and taste of the beer.

Exposure to light causes beer to deteriorate rapidly.

two. Beer lines can be prone to contamination

Draft beer can have an unpleasant taste if the piping of a draft machine is not handled properly. Draft dispensers can accumulate mold and unwanted bacteria that influence the taste and smell of the beer that comes out, explains Winning HomeBrew.

“Dirty draft lines can spoil a good beer , but you won’t know until you ask,” warns Gabriel Magliaro, co-owner of Chicago’s Half Acre Beer Company through Bon Appétit.

3. Draft beer can taste fresher

“In today’s beer world, what you care about most is old beer,” said Magliaro, “in a bar, the draft it should move faster (than the bottles), so it would take the fact that it is probably fresher”, adds the brewer.

It is important to talk to the brewer and ask what is fresh.

4. The tasting experience

Drinking the beer in a glass allows you to enjoy the flavors and aromas of the beer more. When pouring the drink into a glass, the beer begins to lose gas (carbon dioxide), the aromas volatilize and allow a better appreciation of its organoleptic qualities, which does not happen when drinking it from a bottle with such a small mouth.

“When you pour it from a keg system, you get a different level of carbonation/mouthfeel than you would get from a bottle or a can,” Benjamin Pratt, co-owner and beer manager of Manhattan’s As Is, tells Bon Appétit.

Ideally, you should pour your bottled beer into a glass rather than drinking straight from the bottle.

If the beer tastes unpleasant and you suspect the tap lines are dirty or you consider that it can be a little crowded bar, ordering a bottled beer will be a better option.