A common trajectory seems to be your sentiment, followed by a couple of reluctant retries, followed by eventual, disproportional reverence. I'm no different
Club - Mate is so commonly drunk, it inspired a whole range of similar mate soda brands, also available in every supermarket.
Also most Latin Americans don't know about the existence of mate sodas in Germany and they are always surprised when finding out.
Guinness tastes foul if you've had some beer before trying it.
People ask me to 'try a bit' (i can down a pint whilst my next one is being poured), but I always refuse if they've had a beer beforehand.
I was the same.
I'm 40 and frequently give many many beers a chance (e.g. lived in Czechia with ultra knowledgeable beer experts), even my German genes don't help me to enjoy it. On the other hand, I followed the Club Mate trajectory too.