Supertasters - how genetics change the perception of wine, coffee, beer and tea
Have you ever wondered why someone grimaces at a bitter beer or astringent wine that tastes fine to you, or the other way around. The answer often lies in the genes. Some people, called supertasters, perceive bitterness, tannins and certain flavors far more strongly than the rest of the population. This is decided, among other things, by a gene labeled TAS2R38, responsible for sensitivity to certain bitter compounds. It is estimated that about a quarter of people are supertasters, for whom the world of flavors is more intense. This genetic difference really changes the perception of wine, coffee, beer and tea, that is all our favorite drinks. Interestingly, being a supertaster does not automatically make someone a better taster. Here is how genetics shapes our sense of taste, why people perceive the same drinks so differently, and what this means for thoughtful tasting and for understanding our own preferences.
Who supertasters are
The notion of a supertaster describes people with above-average sensitivity to flavors, especially to bitterness. The term was popularized by the taste researcher Linda Bartoshuk, who studied how differently people perceive the intensity of taste stimuli. Supertasters feel bitterness, sweetness, and often other tastes too, more strongly than the average person. For them, bitter vegetables, strong coffee or astringent wine can be unpleasantly intense. At the other pole are the so-called non-tasters, that is people of low sensitivity, for whom the same stimuli are mild. Most people fall in the middle, as medium tasters. This division shows that we do not all perceive taste the same way, and the differences can be considerable. What is pleasantly dry for one person can be unbearably bitter for another. Supertasters make up the more sensitive part of the population, for whom the world of flavors is simply louder and more vivid than for the others.
The TAS2R38 gene
The key to the phenomenon of supertasting is genetics, and in particular the gene labeled TAS2R38. It is responsible for a receptor that detects certain bitter compounds, in studies most often substances known as PROP and PTC. People differ in the variants of this gene, which translates into how strongly they feel the bitterness of these compounds. One variant makes a person sensitive, a taster who perceives these substances as bitter, while another variant makes them nearly tasteless, which characterizes non-tasters. It is a difference written in our DNA, which we inherit from our parents. The TAS2R38 gene has thus become a model example of how a single genetic trait can really affect our everyday sensations. Researchers use sensitivity to PROP and PTC as a simple test that lets them tell tasters from non-tasters. This shows that our perception of taste is not solely a matter of habit or training, but has a deep, biological basis written in the genes.
Papillae on the tongue
Genetics is not everything. Supertasting is also linked to the structure of the tongue, specifically to the density of the fungiform papillae, the tiny structures that house the taste buds. Supertasters usually have more of these papillae over a given area of the tongue than other people. A greater number of papillae means more taste buds, and so a stronger perception of taste stimuli. This is the physical, anatomical basis of their heightened sensitivity. It can even be observed by staining the tongue with a dye and counting the papillae over a small area, which is used as one of the ways of identifying supertasters. This trait combines with genetic sensitivity, together forming the picture of a person who perceives flavors more intensely. A greater density of papillae strengthens not only bitterness but also other sensations, including irritation or a feeling of astringency. That is why supertasting is more than the gene alone, because it also includes a real, measurable difference in the structure of the tasting apparatus, making some people far more sensitive than others.
Three groups of tasters
The population can be roughly divided into three groups by taste sensitivity. The most numerous are the medium tasters, people of average sensitivity, to whom roughly half of people belong. On one side are the non-tasters, of low sensitivity, for whom bitter compounds are mild or nearly tasteless, making up about a quarter of the population. On the other side are the supertasters, of high sensitivity, also about a quarter, for whom the same stimuli are very intense. These proportions are given as approximations and may differ between populations, but they give a good picture of the distribution. They show that taste sensitivity is a spectrum, not a split into two categories. Most of us are somewhere in the middle, and the extremes, namely non-tasters and supertasters, are minorities on either side. This distribution explains why people react so differently to the same flavors. Where someone sits on this scale depends largely on the genes and the structure of the tongue, that is factors over which we have no control.
How it changes wine perception
For a wine lover, supertasting has concrete consequences. Wine contains tannins, the compounds that give a feeling of astringency and drying, and bitterish notes, which supertasters perceive far more strongly. For such a person a strongly tannic, young red wine can be unpleasantly harsh and astringent, while a non-taster will perceive it as mild and pleasant. The same wine can therefore give entirely different impressions to two people, depending on their sensitivity. Supertasters may prefer milder, less tannic wines with a softer profile, because intense tannins can be overwhelming for them. This can affect their choices and judgments of wine. Understanding this difference is valuable, because it shows that the assessment of wine is partly subjective and depends on the biology of the taster. What one will judge as too astringent, another will praise as structured and dry. The genetics of taste thus adds another layer to the already complex world of wine perception, reminding us that there is no single, universal way of tasting.
Coffee, beer and tea
The influence of supertasting is not limited to wine but concerns all drinks with marked bitterness. In coffee, supertasters perceive bitter notes more strongly, especially in dark-roasted beans or strong espresso, so they may prefer milder, lighter-roasted coffees or the addition of milk. In beer, the key role is played by hops, which give bitterness. Heavily hopped styles, such as some IPA variants, can be downright unpleasantly bitter for supertasters, while non-tasters will perceive them as pleasantly dry. In tea, bitterness and astringency come mainly from catechins and tannins, especially in strongly brewed green tea. Supertasters may feel this bitterness more strongly and prefer shorter brewing or milder teas. In all these drinks the same genetic sensitivity shapes preferences. This explains why people react so differently to bitter drinks and why there is no sense in imposing one own tastes on others. Everyone perceives these flavors through the prism of their own, largely innate sensitivity.
Does the gene explain everything
It must be said honestly that the TAS2R38 gene does not explain the whole phenomenon of supertasting. Research shows that the variants of this gene account for a significant but not total part of the differences in the perception of bitterness. Part of the sensitivity remains unexplained by this gene alone, which means that other factors are also at play. These include the density of the taste papillae, other genes, and perhaps environmental or individual factors. Supertasting is therefore a complex trait made up of many elements, not the simple effect of a single gene. It is important not to oversimplify the picture and not to reduce the whole richness of human taste sensitivity to a single mutation. Researchers stress that although TAS2R38 is key and well studied, it does not in itself fully explain why someone is a supertaster. Taste is the result of the interplay of genetics, anatomy and probably other, still-studied factors, which makes it a fascinating and not fully deciphered area of science.
A supertaster is not a better taster
Despite the name, a supertaster is not automatically a better taster. Greater sensitivity has its drawbacks. A person who perceives flavors very intensely can be overwhelmed by them, especially with strong, bitter or tannic drinks, which easily tire or discourage them. Supertasters can be picky and have narrower preferences, avoiding what others find pleasantly vivid. This can even make it harder to appreciate complex, intense wines or beers. What is more, good tasting is not just keen sensitivity but above all experience, knowledge, vocabulary and the skill of analyzing and describing sensations, which we learn through training. A non-taster with vast experience can be an excellent taster, better than a sensitive layman. Sensitivity is the raw material, but it is training that makes the taster. That is why it is not worth treating supertasting as superiority nor non-tasting as a flaw. They are simply different ways of perceiving the world of flavors, each with its strengths and weaknesses.
How to check yourself
You can roughly check where you sit on the sensitivity scale. The simplest research method is a test using strips soaked in the compounds PROP or PTC. For a supertaster they taste distinctly and unpleasantly bitter, for a medium taster they are moderately bitter, and a non-taster barely feels them. Another method is to count the fungiform papillae over a small area of the tongue, for example after staining it with food coloring, because supertasters usually have more of them. You can also pay attention to your own reactions, that is whether bitter vegetables, strong coffee, astringent wine and hoppy beer seem exceptionally intense to you, or rather mild. These observations give an approximate picture of your sensitivity. It is worth remembering, however, that this is a curiosity helping to understand your own preferences, not a verdict. Knowing your place on this scale lets you better match drinks to your own tastes and approach the tastes of other people, who perceive the same flavors differently, with greater humility.
What it means for tasting
Knowledge of supertasting has real significance for thoughtful tasting. Above all it teaches humility and tolerance, because it shows that people really do perceive the same flavors differently for biological reasons over which they have no control. The fact that someone dislikes astringent wine or bitter beer need not stem from a lack of refinement but from greater sensitivity. Understanding this lets us avoid imposing our own tastes on others and treat the diversity of tastes as natural. For the taster it is also an encouragement to know oneself, one own sensitivity and its influence on judgments. A thoughtful taster knows that their perception is partly subjective and can take this into account. Ultimately the genetics of taste reminds us that tasting joins biology with experience. The best results come from combining knowledge of one own sensitivity with training, knowledge and openness to the fact that others feel differently. This makes the world of tasting richer, more human and less dogmatic than it might seem.
Key takeaways
Supertasters are people with above-average sensitivity to flavors, especially bitterness and tannins, making up about a quarter of the population. This is decided, among other things, by the TAS2R38 gene, responsible for the perception of the bitter compounds PROP and PTC, and by a greater density of taste papillae on the tongue. The population divides roughly into non-tasters, medium tasters and supertasters. This sensitivity changes the perception of wine, coffee, beer and tea, that is all drinks with marked bitterness, shaping preferences. The gene does not explain everything, however, and a supertaster is not automatically a better taster, because that is decided mainly by training and experience. Knowing your own sensitivity teaches humility and helps match drinks to yourself. If you enjoy such topics and want to taste thoughtfully, GustoNote will help you keep your own journal.