Scotch Tasting Flashcards
Esters
fragrant, fruity
By definition, flavor is the combination of ____, ____, and ____.
smell, taste, and texture
What is the procedure of “sensory evaluation” also called?
organoleptic assessment
What are the 5 main components of assessing a whisky’s character?
- appearance (sight)
- aroma (smell and finish)
- taste (taste and touch)
- finish (taste)
- development (smell)
What is our most acute sense?
smell
While we are equipped with between 2000 and 5000 taste buds, we have between ____ and ____ million olfactory receptors.
50
100
The volatile, odor-bearing molecules found in whisky (and other liquids) are called what?
congeners
How many congeners have sensory scientists identified in whisky at this time?
over 300
What percentage do congeners make up the liquid of whisky?
Only 0.3%. The rest is water and ethyl alcohol which are odorless.
Smells are collected by receptors in the ____.
olfactory epithileum
What are the 7 cardinal aromatic groups?
Grainy
Grassy
Fragrant/Floral
Peaty
Woody
Winey/Unctuous
Off-Notes/Stale
What is the phenomenon where our noses quickly adapt to smells?
habituation
What are the five primary tastes?
sweet, sour, salty, bitter and umami
Where are the five tastes generally detected on the tongue?
front - sweetness
sides in front - salty
sides in back - sour/acidic
back - bitter
all over - umami
Which sets of tastebud receptors take the longes to return to normal after being stimulated?
The back receptors of bitterness.
aromatic volatiles in the mouthful are identified by the ____ via the ____.
olfactory epithelum
retro-nasal passage
Describe the two effects of the “feeling factors” sensation
nose-feel effects: pungency, cooling, drying
mouth feel: texture, cooling, drying, spicy, spritzy
Tastings are classified in what two terms?
Objective/Analytical and Subjective/Hedonic
List some objective sensory descriptors from Diageo
Butyric, Peaty, Sulphury, Meaty, Metallic, Nutty-spicy, Vegetal, Waxy, Green-oily, Sweet, Grassy, Fruity, Perfumed, Clean
List some objective sensory descriptors that are chemically based
acrolein, B, di-methyl tri-sulphide, feihnts, acetal, di-acetal, ribes, phenolic
List some abstract sensory descriptors
body, clean, coarse, dry, flat, fresh, green, hard, heavy, light, mellow, neutral, rich, robust, round, sharp, soft, thin, young
The broad range of flavors found in malt whisky come from what three main sources? What is deemed the most important?
- the raw materials
- the production process
- the maturation
maturation
What region is most associated with fruity aromatics (ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, hexyl acetate)?
Speysides
What region is most associated with fragrant aromatics (acetal, acetaldehyde, beta ionone, plyethanol)?
Sometimes lowlands
What is the optimal temperature to present tasting samples?
15 C / 59 F
What does ice do to a sample?
It closes down the aroma
Water used at a tasting should be ____ less and ____ less and ideally be ____, not mineralic.
taste
odor
soft
Where does whisky primarily draw its color from?
The cask during maturation
Will a liquid be paler or darker if the cask used has been refilled multiple times
lighter
What organoleptically inert substance can be added to adjust the color of the whisky? What is this practice called?
spirit caramel (e150)
tinting
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.
Do lipids contribute more to aroma or mouth-feel?
Mouth-feel
What can chill-filtration also be called?
polishing
Does whisky above or below 50% bead more?
whisky above 50% ABV
What can the beading test tell you?
If the whisky has been well-aged.
Fast running “legs” or “tears” indicate what about the whisky?
That it will be light-bodied.
What are the evanescent threads and eddies seen when water is added to whisky termed?
viscometric whorls
The more apparent viscometric whorls are seen indicates what?
the whisky will be more viscous
What is another term for when your olfactory epithelium is anaesthetised?
palate fade
What does is mean if the aroma is “open” or “closed”?
A highly aromatic spirit is open and a shier aromatic is closed.
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
What two kind of malts and should be evaluated at full strength?
- Old malts, especially sherried ones
- Whiskys below 46% ABV
Is mouth-feel better assess at full or reduced strength?
reduced strength
What does finish refer to? How is it rated?
The length of time the whisky is discerinble once swallowed?
short, medium, or long
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
