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the science of spirits
DRINKING TRADITIONS FAIL AS SCIENCE UNCOVERS THE TRUTH Spirits’ evaluation methods are inadequate for sensory progress
exhales through the nostrils, 92% of experienced evaluators cannot correctly identify 3 of 4 samples (bourbon, scotch, cognac, rum) in black (to eliminate visual clues) tulips. Tulips’ tiny rims force highly concentrated, nose-numbing ethanol (95+%) into the nostrils resulting in rapid ethanol anesthesia. High olfactory ethanol levels destroy the sense of smell and contaminate evaluation objectivity. Tumblers are far superior to tulips due to lower ethanol concentration.
THE SCIENCE OF SPIRITS
By George F Manska, CR&D, Arsilica, Inc.
S
pirits’ evaluation methods and procedures evolved directly from the 1960s scotch whisky marketing drive supplemented by a few borrowed from wine critics; all derived using traditional tulip-style tasting glasses. Early on, eager to adopt an iconic symbol, industry VIPs, brand ambassadors, distillers, writers, critics, and whisky drinkers never seriously considered other vessel shapes. Complacency with traditional tulips will continue for most social drinkers. However, embracing sensory, chemistry, and physical sciences provides opportunities to raise the industry quality bar and provide much-improved guidance to distributors and consumers who have a critical reliance on accurate evaluations to disseminate prolific purchasing choices. Since 2002 the corporate mission of Arsilica, Inc. has been to provide truth in sensory evaluation. The future of the spirits industry ultimately rests with consumer flavor perceptions and our research continues to define the technology necessary to deliver true flavor profiles to consumers. Three major discoveries reveal the pitfalls of blind acceptance of tradition:
1.
Concentrated ethanol destroys sense of smell:
Anesthetic ethanol quickly numbs olfactory receptors, preventing identification of character aromas. After three 3-second ethanol inhale/
Ethanol anesthesia was first identified in tulips decades ago by scotch whisky blenders. Choosing tulip glasses, they dilute to 20-23% ABV (1 oz water to 1 oz spirit) – thus avoiding nose-numbing yet radically altering aroma profile. Many brand ambassadors invoke the fallacy of adding a few drops of water to “open up” a spirit, but the opposite occurs, as water reduces ethanol pungency but also shuts down all aromas. Other methods acclimate the nose to pungency but fail to improve anesthesia onset from tulips, including breathing through mouth and nose simultaneously, and wafting. Nothing short of diverting ethanol will mitigate ethanol anesthesia.
2.
The “mind-trick” of experiential memory:
Ethanol anesthesia occurs without warning or awareness. The earliest sign: The evaluator asks, “What do I smell?” or “It’s familiar but I can’t identify,” or worse, “I can’t smell anything,” then ponders, “what should I smell?” A catalog of past tastings
