1 - Tasting and Evaluating Spirits Flashcards
How should you set yourself up for tasting?
By minimising outside influences that may alter your perception of the spirit
…can impair your ability to assess spirits and to learn
Consuming alcohol
How must you prepare your palate for tasting?
Ensure it is free from flavours of toothpaste, cigarettes or strongly flavoured foods
How might one clean the palate prior to tasting?
Chewing a piece of bread
What might interfere with a spirits aromas when assessing the spirit?
Perfume, aftershave or other strongly scented products
Why should you be well hydrated before tasting?
Dehydration may cause nasal aroma receptors to become dry and lose sensitivity
Besides dehydration, what else may impair one’s sense of smell?
Hay-fever, colds and fatigue
Describe ideal glasses for assessing spirits
Odourless, colourless, transparent and free of any residues
Describe the ideal features of a tasting glass
A rounded bowl that is large enough to allow water to be added to the sample
Inward sloping walls which concentrate the aromas at the top of the glass
What is important when assessing multiple spirits in one session?
To use the same type of glass for fair comparison
What is the recommended sample size for tasting?
150ml/1.5cl/0.5 US fl. oz
Which are the only two tastes relevant assessing spirits?
Sweetness and bitterness
List the aspects of appearance in the SAT
Clarity
Intensity
Colour
Other observations
What are the options for clarity?
Clear
Hazy
What are the options for intensity?
Water-white
Pale
Medium
Deep
Opaque
