Experience doesn't count for nothing, but I don't think your experiences necessarily make you right and make his experiences wrong. Fair enough?

One thing I will say tangentially to this point is that I do think it is quite likely that the OP, and many Americans (myself included - this is something I have experienced), have pretty messed up palettes. Our food is oversalted, overseasoned, overprocessed, etc., and that makes it difficulty to taste nuance and subtle flavors.