Scotch Tasting Flashcards

1
Q

Esters

A

fragrant, fruity

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2
Q

By definition, flavor is the combination of ____, ____, and ____.

A

smell, taste, and texture

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3
Q

What is the procedure of “sensory evaluation” also called?

A

organoleptic assessment

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4
Q

What are the 5 main components of assessing a whisky’s character?

A
  1. appearance (sight)
  2. aroma (smell and finish)
  3. taste (taste and touch)
  4. finish (taste)
  5. development (smell)
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5
Q

What is our most acute sense?

A

smell

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6
Q

While we are equipped with between 2000 and 5000 taste buds, we have between ____ and ____ million olfactory receptors.

A

50
100

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7
Q

The volatile, odor-bearing molecules found in whisky (and other liquids) are called what?

A

congeners

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8
Q

How many congeners have sensory scientists identified in whisky at this time?

A

over 300

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9
Q

What percentage do congeners make up the liquid of whisky?

A

Only 0.3%. The rest is water and ethyl alcohol which are odorless.

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10
Q

Smells are collected by receptors in the ____.

A

olfactory epithileum

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11
Q

What are the 7 cardinal aromatic groups?

A

Grainy
Grassy
Fragrant/Floral
Peaty
Woody
Winey/Unctuous
Off-Notes/Stale

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12
Q

What is the phenomenon where our noses quickly adapt to smells?

A

habituation

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13
Q

What are the five primary tastes?

A

sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami

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14
Q

Where are the five tastes generally detected on the tongue?

A

front - sweetness
sides in front - salty
sides in back - sour/acidic
back - bitter
all over - umami

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15
Q

Which sets of tastebud receptors take the longes to return to normal after being stimulated?

A

The back receptors of bitterness.

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16
Q

aromatic volatiles in the mouthful are identified by the ____ via the ____.

A

olfactory epithelum
retro-nasal passage

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17
Q

Describe the two effects of the “feeling factors” sensation

A

nose-feel effects: pungency, cooling, drying
mouth feel: texture, cooling, drying, spicy, spritzy

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18
Q

Tastings are classified in what two terms?

A

Objective/Analytical and Subjective/Hedonic

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19
Q

List some objective sensory descriptors from Diageo

A

Butyric, Peaty, Sulphury, Meaty, Metallic, Nutty-spicy, Vegetal, Waxy, Green-oily, Sweet, Grassy, Fruity, Perfumed, Clean

20
Q

List some objective sensory descriptors that are chemically based

A

acrolein, B, di-methyl tri-sulphide, feihnts, acetal, di-acetal, ribes, phenolic

21
Q

List some abstract sensory descriptors

A

body, clean, coarse, dry, flat, fresh, green, hard, heavy, light, mellow, neutral, rich, robust, round, sharp, soft, thin, young

22
Q

The broad range of flavors found in malt whisky come from what three main sources? What is deemed the most important?

A
  1. the raw materials
  2. the production process
  3. the maturation

maturation

23
Q

What region is most associated with fruity aromatics (ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, hexyl acetate)?

24
Q

What region is most associated with fragrant aromatics (acetal, acetaldehyde, beta ionone, plyethanol)?

A

Sometimes lowlands

25
What is the optimal temperature to present tasting samples?
15 C / 59 F
26
What does ice do to a sample?
It closes down the aroma
27
Water used at a tasting should be ____ less and ____ less and ideally be ____, not mineralic.
taste odor soft
28
Where does whisky primarily draw its color from?
The cask during maturation
29
Will a liquid be paler or darker if the cask used has been refilled multiple times
lighter
30
What organoleptically inert substance can be added to adjust the color of the whisky? What is this practice called?
spirit caramel (e150) tinting
31
What is chill-filtration? What is the benefit of doing it? The downside?
The process of cooling the liquid to around 0 C prior to bottling. It preciptates certain fatty acids and is pressed through paper filters to remove the lipids and is done for cosmetic reasons to prevent hazing. Lipids contribute mouthfeel which can be desirable.
32
Do lipids contribute more to aroma or mouth-feel?
Mouth-feel
33
What can chill-filtration also be called?
polishing
34
Does whisky above or below 50% bead more?
whisky above 50% ABV
35
What can the beading test tell you?
If the whisky has been well-aged.
36
Fast running "legs" or "tears" indicate what about the whisky?
That it will be light-bodied.
37
What are the evanescent threads and eddies seen when water is added to whisky termed?
viscometric whorls
38
The more apparent viscometric whorls are seen indicates what?
the whisky will be more viscous
39
What is another term for when your olfactory epithelium is anaesthetised?
palate fade
40
What does is mean if the aroma is "open" or "closed"?
A highly aromatic spirit is open and a shier aromatic is closed.
41
What does adding water to a sample do? Why?
It opens the aroma Some compounds in whisky are hydrophobic and become more volatile and apparent when you add water
42
What two kind of malts and should be evaluated at full strength?
1. Old malts, especially sherried ones 2. Whiskys below 46% ABV
43
Is mouth-feel better assess at full or reduced strength?
reduced strength
44
What does finish refer to? How is it rated?
The length of time the whisky is discerinble once swallowed? short, medium, or long
45
When are your senses the sharpest for a tasting
In the morning with clean palate and clear head as opposed to late night after a meal