Whisky Appreciation Flashcards
By definition what is flavour a combination of
Smell, taste and texture
what is commonly regarded as the most important sense for appreciating whisky
smell
What is the general order of procedures for whisky appreciation
Appearance, Aroma, Taste, Finish, Development
What does appearance relate to in brief
Principally the colour but can also relate to beading, clarity, viscosity and viscimetry
What is the procedure for Aroma briefly summarised
The liquid is initially nosed and the affects of the alcoholic vapours in your nose are acknowledged. After this a little water is added to reduce any prickle or burn and to ‘open up’ the whisky
What is the procedure for taste (and touch) put briefly
first taste it straight at full strength, then add a little water and taste again. You always taste twice. You are exploring the balance of the primary tastes and the overall texture of the spirit
What are the five primary tastes
Sweet, salty, bitter, sour and umami
What is the procedure for analysing the finish of a whisky
consider the length of time you continue to taste or feel the spirit, is it long, medium or short? and also note any lingering after taste
How is development analysed in whisky appreciation
The sample is left 20 minutes then assess it once again for any changes in aroma
how many taste buds do we have in comparison to olfactory receptors (Smell detectors)
We have 2000-5000 tastebuds whereas we have between 50 and 100 million olfactory receptors
how do we calculate the amount of something that we can smell such as peatiness
In parts per million or PPM most commonly however our sense of smell is so acute we can smell things (incredibly pungent things) down to the parts per trillion PPT
how many Congeners have been identified in whisky by scientists
Over 300
what percentage of whisky are congeners
0.3%
what are the positive cardinal aromatic groups in hub of the flavour wheel
Grainy, grassy, fragrant, fruity, peaty, woody, winey and off-notes (These are occasionally given different names though)
what kind of molecules stimulate the taste buds
Sapid molecules
what primary flavours are generally detected within the specific regions of the tongue
Sweetness at the tip, sour and acidic at the sides towards the back, Salty on the sides of the tongue towards the front, bitterness towards the back and umami is all over the tongue
what is taste a combination of
its a combination of the primary taste and the aroma
what are the two main categories of touch that can be analysed with whisky
Nose-feel effects and mouth-feel effects
What are some examples of nose-feel terms commonly used
Nose-cooling, nose-drying and nose-warming
what is the nerve that can be stimulated when smelling triggering pain
The trigeminal nerve
What are some common examples of how mouthfeel is described
Mouth drying, mouth cooling, mouth warming
what are the two classifications of tastings
Objective and subjective also referred to as analytical and hedonic
what does objective analysis set out to do
It sets out to describe simply what is there and it is greatly limiting on the interpretive faculties of a person or panel
When is objective analysis commonly done
In whisky laboratories within whisky companies where the range of vocabulary is limited and prescribed as well as often derived from chemistry
some classic terms used for Objective analysis used by companies such as Diageo (Particularly for new make) are what?
Butyric, Peaty, Sulphury, Meaty, Metallic, nutty-spicy, Vegetal, Waxy, Green-oily, sweet, grassy, Fruity, Perfumed and clean
How best describes subjective analysis
Free reign is given to the experience, imagination and the individual or panel. This usually means that descriptors are more personal and colourful
How is the language of subjective analysis best described or put
Descriptive and or figurative i.e smells like… or, is reminiscent of…
what are some examples of abstract terms that are used for subjective whisky analysis
smooth, clean, fresh, coarse, rough, heavy, light, rich, mellow, young etc which usually give rise to contrasting pairs i.e delicate vs rough
How is the ‘body’ of a whisky best explained or described
This is related to mouthfeel and is indicative of product character, commonly described as light, medium or full-bodied
How is the ‘clean’ abstract term of a whisky best explained or described
free from any off-notes, this term is primarily used to describe new make spirits
How is the ‘coarse’ abstract term of a whisky best explained or described
This term often implies a type of pungency and a lack of balance
How is the ‘Dry’ abstract term of a whisky best explained or described
Tannic and or astringent but to an acceptable degree can often also be described as a sensation
How is the ‘flat’ abstract term of a whisky best explained or described
Dull and flavourless, and or, stale and low in alcohol
How is the ‘fresh’ abstract term of a whisky best explained or described
The opposing term to flat which is used to describe a whisky or bottled whisky in good condition often with vibrant flavours
How is the ‘Green’ abstract term of a whisky best explained or described
it refers to a good number or quality of aldehydes present in the spirit
How is the ‘Hard’ abstract term of a whisky best explained or described
metallic, astringent, and flinty notes dominate
How is the ‘Heavy’ abstract term of a whisky best explained or described
It possesses a high intensity of flavour, this is usually quite desirable
How is the ‘Light’ abstract term of a whisky best explained or described
Delicate whilst possessing adequate intensity of flavour in good balance
How is the ‘mellow’ abstract term of a whisky best explained or described
this is commonly associated with the nose-feel and it relates to the impression given by the ABV of the whisky, it describes whiskies with a pleasing warmth
How is the ‘neutral’ abstract term of a whisky best explained or described
A way of describing a spirit that is silent and plain smelling and is usually immature
How is the ‘rich’ abstract term of a whisky best explained or described
It refers to a whisky having a high total intensity although it also commonly is used to describe sherried whiskies
How is the ‘Robust’ abstract term of a whisky best explained or described
As possessing a high intensity of flavour
How is the ‘round’ abstract term of a whisky best explained or described
As possessing a well balanced aroma and taste
How is the ‘sharp’ abstract term of a whisky best explained or described
it possesses a certain nose-prickle or mouth-prickle effect usually caused by high ABV
How is the ‘Soft’ abstract term of a whisky best explained or described
it implies a suppression of alcoholic and aromatic pungency
How is the ‘thin’ abstract term of a whisky best explained or described
it lacks aroma and taste or gives the impression of being diluted or watered down
How is the ‘young’ abstract term of a whisky best explained or described
The whisky has not yet reached an optimal or acceptable state of maturity and could benefit from further aging
what three broad factors are responsible for all the flavours of a whisky
The raw materials, the production process and the maturation
What results in a grainy flavour in whisky (chemically)
Organo-nitrogen compounds
What results in a fruity flavour in whisky (chemically)
Ethyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, hexyl acetate
what results in a fragrant flavour in whisky (chemically)
Acetal, acetaldehyde, beta ionone and polyethanol
what results in a peaty flavour in whisky (chemically)
Phenols (a large group of chemical compounds)
when is serious tasting done
Before lunch on an empty stomach
What order is the tasting procedure
Appearance, aroma, taste and finish
how do american casks and european casks vary in their colour imparted on the whisky
American casks often gives a golden tint whilst european casks often give a amber colour even an umber hue
what is tinting and what is added in the process
This is the process of making sure the whisky across several bottlings of the same type shares the same colour and is done with the addition of spirit caramel (E150A)
Whats the problem with e150 caramel spirit
It has no smell or taste however it does make it impossible to guess the cask type used
what do the lipids removed through chill filtration contribute to
The mouthfeel predominantly but also to a lesser extent the aroma
What does beading as a test show you
The ABV of a whisky, if the beads cling it is above 50% but below 63% and if they quickly dissipate it is between 40 and 50%, it can also indicate the age of a whisky
How to the legs of a whisky been swirled indicate the body of a whisky
Thick, slow legs indicate a heavier body whilst small thin and fast legs indicate a lighter body
What are viscometric whorls
They are the threading and edying effects that occur when water is added to whisky and are a good indication of the whiskies texture
How do viscometrical whorls indicate texture
If the threads disappear quickly and are more apparent then the whisky will be more viscous
what is the order of assessing aroma
first you assess nose-feel at full strength, then its aroma, then the aroma again but at a reduced strength
what is the phenomenon known as palate fade
When a deep sniff of a high ABV spirit anaesthetises your olfactory epithelium for a while
Why do some new compounds become more present after adding water
Some molecules in the whisky are hydrophobic and so with the addition of water they become volatile and separate from the spirit
How can the flavour of a whisky change at different times of the day
The palate can be more or less sensitive at different times for instance the palate and nose are both more sensitive in the morning than what they are by the evening.
