OK, not necessarily something you want to do in public. But both a good way to learn a little more about the beer you are drinking and your own senses.
I was reminded of the value of tasting without first smelling while grinding through an academic paper related to hops (I try to tackle several a day because I have quite a collection). In this case the researchers were evaluating the bitterness intensity of various samples, and panelists wore nose plugs.
No need to do that at home. A simple squeeze will do. Take a sip without the benefit of “olfactory influences,” then one with. Or vice versa. Doesn’t even have to be a hop-heavy beer, although the results can be pretty interesting with a dry-hopped one.
I did this while sipping a home brewed German Hef, that was huge on the banana and clove. The beer minus the nose was incredible smooth with more of a mouth feel. After I opened the nose, I could get the bana and clove back, and the mouth feel was thinner, but not at all in a bad way. I wonder if my mouth worked to push the beer back to my throat quicker when I could smell the glass….
the old eat an onion with a blocked nose trick. Smelling is a huge chunk of tasting
I’ve found drinking straight from the bottle gives a similar effect.