Appreciating Whisky Flashcards
By definition, flavor is a combination of what components?
Smell, Taste and Texture
What are the parts of the standard procedure for assessing a whisky’s character?
Apperence (Sight)
Aroma (Smell & Touch)
Taste (Taste and Touch)
Finish (Taste)
Development (Smell)
What is our most acute sense?
Smell
We are said to have between 2000 and 5000 taste buds, how many olfactory receptors do we have?
Between 50 and 100 million
What is the definition of a congener?
A congener is a volatile, odor-bearing molecule found in whisky. Sensory scientists have identified over 300 in whisky.
What percentage of a whisky’s makeup is actually congeners? What are the other components?
Congeners make up only 0.3% of the contents of the liquid. The remainder is water and ethyl alcohol.
What is the name for the small mucous-covered patch within the nasal cavity, above and behind our noses, which traps odor-bearing molecules and sends messages to the lower brain via olfactory nerves?
The olfactory epithelium
What are the cardinal aromatic groups which form the hub of Charles MacClean’s Whisky Wheel?
Grainy
Grassy
Fragrant
Fruity
Peaty
Woody
Unctuous
Nasty
What are the five primary tastes?
Sweet
Sour
Salty
Bitter
Umami (Savory)
Generally, where are the primary tastes detected on the human tongue?
sweetness = the tip of the tongue
sour/acidic = on both sides of tongue towards the back
salty = on either side of the tongue towards the front
bitter = the back of the tongue
umami = all over
The broad range of flavors found in malt whisky come from what three main sources?
Raw Materials
Production Process
Maturation
Grainy aromatic compounds are derived from?
Organo - nitrogen compounds - found in all whiskies, especially immature samples. Too many cereal notes are not desirable.
Fruity aromatic compounds are derived from?
Ethyl acetate, isoamy acetate, hexyl acetate, pear drops. These scnets are desirable and often found in Speyside Malts.
Fragrant aromantic compounds are derived from?
Acetal, acetaldehyde, beta ionone, polyethanol. Perfumed, floral, fresh. Sometimes found in Lowland Malts.
Peaty aromatic compounds are derived from?
Phenols - a large group of chemical compounds. Either smoky or medicinal or both - typical of the more pungent Islay malts.
