There has to be some kind of scientific explanation for this

cause the taste of the aluminum bleeds into the drink.

Lick a can. it tastes like aluminum. lick a glass/plastic bottle. It's flavourless.
 
I would like to know this too.

it's true, it's true.


edit: I always assumed it was aluminum flavoring, but i thought maybe it was a bottling process or such.
 
i'd imagine it's because there aren't a bunch of metal ions in the beverage; you'd be surprised at how sensitive tastebuds are
 
Iconoclastic Tendencies said:
cause the taste of the aluminum bleeds into the drink.

Lick a can. it tastes like aluminum. lick a glass/plastic bottle. It's flavourless.
Glass yes. Plastic no. Leave a drink in a PET bottle for months and it will have taken up a certain plasticy flavour
 
lizard said:
that's why that one Coors sub-brand tried to market their beer cans as being "lined" with something to keep the beer un-aluminIumed.

We got some Heinekens in Amsterdam that came in aluminum BOTTLES. They were lined with something like this. I mean, it tasted fine, but why even bother?
 
markgugs said:
It's all a goddamned myth. Some beer now comes in aluminum "bottles," and you'd never be able to tell the difference.

The beer in the new Michelob aluminum bottles is quite excellent, but yeah, no better than the bottle or anything. I still agree with Neal about Mountain Dew though, it really does taste better in the aluminum cans.