> fresh coffee has a distinct taste. Maybe your wife is just used to day old coffee lol

I can definitely taste the difference, and I much prefer fresh coffee.

She just can't taste the difference for some reason. Which surprises me, because AFAIK her sense of taste is otherwise normal.

One difference might be that I strongly notice "bitter" and find it unpleasant. Maybe bitterness is one of the key differences in stale coffee?