Licorice after taste

[soupdragon]

Hi all
About 20 years ago I brewed all grain for a period of about 18 months but gave up as I couldn't replicate my 1st brew (Dave Line's Guinness). While I'm not that keen on that particular brew the recipe came out as a very VERY tasty stout The problem I was having could only be descried as a licorice after taste that I found spoiled my enjoyment of the beer. I tried making bitters and brown ales but after the initial brew I couldn't make a beer without that after taste. I've tasted the same flavour several times in comercial brews, noticably in Adnams Regatta so I don't think it was any kind of infection
Now I'm returning to the art and am easing myself gently back in with a few kits. I'm going to do a test extract brew using OldSpeckledBadger's simple extract method but long term I'd like to return to all grain (much to the wife's displeasure). Has anyone else experienced the same after taste? If the info is any use, the only thing I can think of that I changed was on that 1st brew I racked into a clean container and rested the brew for a week before bottling.

Thanks in advance for any help............................Tom

[soupdragon]

Anyone got any ideas?

[trucker5774]

I had a rubber taste caused by fermenting at too high a temperature. There was a thread on here (can't find it) with a list of off flavours and the reasons

[Whorst]

This is almost an impossible task, being there are so many variables that could be causing this licorice flavor. It could be a certain hop, it could be your water. A pale beer should not having anything resembling a flavor profile of licorice. I've gotten licorice type flavors in dark beers by using brewers licorice and blackstrap molasses. You are going to have to do the science and sort it out. Flavors are very complicated to sort out, because everyone has a different palate. My only recommendation would be to take notes on everything you do. Find another brewer or beer fanatic to give you his/her opinion.

[soupdragon]

Thanks for the suggestions. It was a good few years ago and the home brew shop I used to get my gear from wasn't that well laid out. Sometimes I think the hops might not have been in the best of condition. Fingers crossed that things turn out better this time around