Taste Is Not Dead, But It Is Afraid: New 1664 Global Research Reveals a Crisis of Self-Expression

LONDON, May 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Premium French beer brand 1664 has unveiled new global research revealing a growing culture of self-censorship at a time where authenticity has never mattered more.

83% of people believe they have good taste yet only 31% can agree on what it means and most are too afraid to speak up.

That is the central finding of A Question of Good Taste, the major new global study commissioned by 1664. Its conclusion is simple yet unsettling: taste is not dead, but it is afraid.

Despite placing enormous value on individuality and sense of self, it reveals people suppress both:

• 82% say it is polite to hold back around new people
• 52% say they prefer to avoid debating issues
• 67% say it is easier to go with the flow

Yet 77% believe society would be better if people were more open and honest.

People have not stopped having opinions; they are apprehensive about expressing them. From cancellation to self-doubt, global culture accepts ‘individuality’ as long as it adheres to an existing version.

Technology is accelerating the tension with more than 50% of respondents saying algorithms make it easier to develop their taste yet the more people rely on it, the less distinctive taste becomes.

• 47% admit AI already plays a role in curating their taste
• 77% say AI makes it harder to know what is honest
• Yet 81% insist that good taste remains fundamentally human

A Question of Good Taste also explores culture and lifestyle pressures to understand the forces shaping taste today. The findings lead to one clear observation: good taste is not about consensus. It is about the confidence to form a perspective, the openness to respect others, and the maturity to agree to disagree.

“In a world that increasingly penalises difference, standing by your own taste has become quietly radical. 1664 isn’t here to define good taste but to celebrate the conviction to stand by it.”
Seva Nikolaev, Global Vice-President for Premium Brands, Carlsberg

Unquestionably Good Taste
The findings come alongside 1664 and global ambassador Robert Pattinson launching a new short film directed by Brady Corbet, with Pattinson embodying three personas each convinced they represent the pinnacle of good taste. As opinions collide, 1664 remains the one thing they can all agree is unquestionably good taste.

Research paper: https://www.1664blanc.com/media/b0dnq13i/1664_a_question_of_good_taste_report_220526.pdf

Press contact: 1664global@wearefullfat.com

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