Yes, I have, though I didn't think about it about the way I have come to in recent years. I believe genetics is a key element in detecting flavors in whatever you smoke, drink or eat. But, you have to cultivate that with knowledge and experience, and work continually to upgrade those particular aspects if you want get better at it. It's taken me many years to understand tobaccos as I currently do, and I know I have more to learn, so I'm always working at it. And spending time with blenders and picking their brains for information has been very beneficial to me. Not only that, from time to time, I read our fellow smokers describe their experiences with tobaccos, and I have picked up knowledge that way, too. No matter what somebody's palate is like, you can train yourself as I have tried to do. None of this has come easy to me. It's been a working journey.
Having a mother who could cook foods from different cultures, and running a restaurant for four years was a great help to me regarding food. Both examples lead me to the path of understanding flavors, and furthered my interest in learning more.
I was never much of a drinker, so my experience is limited there. And yeah, I can tell differences in bottled water. I know some people who can do that.
