I'm pretty famous around here for drinking my coffee almost cold, which is kind of odd. Burning the tongue badly can affect taste buds for at least three days. I think they will deaden your taste buds for a short period of time after consuming them. Alcohol, of course, can affect your taste buds. None of us would ever have a glass of wine at lunch, or a beer, because it can dull your taste buds.
Smoking is out.
Pay attention to what's going on. You will notice that things that you never expected to taste different from each other actually do. Maybe you can't describe the difference, but you will notice it. You've mentioned that the taste buds on the tongue experience different sensations. The science starts with the fact that these things are tasted in different areas of the mouth, by different taste buds.