Grappa is a strong drink, not for the feint of heart. It is most definitely an acquired taste.
One benefit of drinking a lot of grappa is that once you've downed your first glass, your tongue and mouth goes totally numb, and you can drink lots of it without having to taste it or feel it burning your esophogus and stomach lining.
Some 20+ years ago after my divorce, I was essentially homeless for a short time. I moved in with my friend in the Bronx. He was born in Italy and his father used to make his own grappa.
One night we decided to put a dent into the LARGE bottle of this grappa. By the end of the night I had acquired a taste for it.
The next morning I swore off grappa.
