How to Become a Better, Serious Evaluator
The serious evaluator is much different than an amateur enthusiast. The serious evaluator delves into all things regarding a favorite spirit to better learn its history, processes, flavors and nuances. Amateurs, although they may not readily admit it, drink for the social aspect and the ethanol buzz. Amateurs see the serious evaluator as a group they want to belong to, but are seldom willing to put in the effort, work, and study necessary to become proficient.
How to Get Serious About Spirits
The task to become better knowledgeable about all things spirits is actually a somewhat difficult, time-consuming process. It begins with the desire to learn, by reading books on everything about your favorite type of spirit. It continues by associating and discussing them with respected tasters. Finally, it culminates in developing one’s ability to detect and identify flavors and their sources with serious, studious intent. Discover those particular spirits most satisfying to your personal taste.
We will never be able to motivate you to take the step to being a better evaluator, but we can provide you with a tool that makes the tasting, detection, identification, and evaluation of flavors meaningful in your quest.
Glass: The First Step to Becoming a Better Evaluator
The development of the NEAT glass began in 2002 as the result of a mistake in a glassblowing class. This large-rim-flared, mouthblown glass “mistake” was created while learning the art of glassblowing. While shaping the vessel on the punty, the instructor added a flare to a sample which was overwhelmingly large, something we had never seen in a spirits glass before. When the laughing died down, we decided to save the sample for its own uniqueness. Then, two months later, the opportunity occurred to test it.
The Revealing Glassware Test
Deciding to try the “mistake,” we poured and sniffed, to discover a remarkable absence of ethanol. Overpowering, pungent ethanol was not on the nose in the center of the rim plane, and only slight traces of ethanol were detected at the rim edge. In amazement, we retrieved our standard tulips to compare them side-by-side; the serious, Aha Moment! Glass shape controls aroma profile. This discovery challenges the way the most drinkers enjoy spirits, and takes the serious evaluator to a new level.
The quest to determine the best size and shape began, and panel testing sessions were used to select better aroma profile delivery over a nearly 10-year span, evaluating over 52 different shapes. The NEAT glass you see today is the empirically determined shape that exhaustive panel testing rendered as the best of the shapes. Cross-tested again and again, the final NEAT glass is the one you see today.
Evaluator A-B Preference Testing
We formed Arsilica in 2002, dedicated to researching spirit evaluation methodology. Later in the development of the NEAT glass, we conducted many A-B comparison tests to construct profiles of whiskey drinkers through their preferences, comments, and opinions. We released NEAT in 2012 as a well-researched, refined, patented, and manufactured product. In 2018, we published our findings in a peer-reviewed beverage journal paper which validated our scientific approach and presented the collected data.
Testing Conclusions of the A-B Comparisons
Confidence level of 2,914 tests, 2Ϭ (97.5%), nationwide testing. Male preferences 87.1 preferred the no-ethanol NEAT glass, and 98.3% of females preferred the no-ethanol NEAT glass. From this we discovered a striking difference in ethanol tolerance on the olfactory. The common tulip glass creates a gender equity problem, in that it exacerbates ethanol irritation much more in women than in men.
Interesting and noteworthy, there is a much deeper issue than gender equity. Among all the1,830 men we tested, their comments after the test uncovered a deep-seated attitude which is divides the mindset of the whiskey drinker into two major camps.
Hidden Motivations Separate Casual from the Serious Evaluator
Curiously, the male evaluator segment tested who preferred the NEAT glass said they still would continue to use the iconic tulip. Considering the fact that they liked the NEAT glass better in a side-by-side comparison, it is curiously odd that they would choose a path that was clearly inferior to evaluation and discovery. Their comments placed their priorities as being much different than female participant’s priorities.
Males see spirits (especially whiskey) tasting as a social, fraternal, bonding experience line-on-line similar to a group of sports fans. As sports fans they relish and wear their favorite team logos on caps, shirts and paraphernalia. As drinkers, they relish the iconic Glencairn tulip glass as a revered badge of membership in a fraternity they consider unique and as an extension of their identity.
They believe their choices separate them from others, but not so much that there is no camaraderie as they seek out other fans who worship their favorite team. Similarly, they seek others who hold their reverence for spirits, in particular whiskey. Notwithstanding, the same applies to Gin, Rum, Tequila drinkers, as evidenced by the clubs available to join. However, the psychological reasons apparently run much deeper, and may point to the attitude toward ethanol which
Two Basic Types of Drinkers, Casual and Serious
- Knowledge and Exploration: Casual spirits drinkers have a limited understanding of whiskey types and may stick to well-known or higher priced brands, while serious aficionados invest time in studying production methods, regions, and distilleries. As a matter of fact, the casuals are more averse to reading and education, placing social aspects first, believing the better spirits cost more or have the most expensive looking bottles.
- Tasting Experience: Casual drinkers may enjoy their favorite for its flavors, often mixing it with water, ice, soda, etc. Serious connoisseurs view spirits tasting as a total, neat, sensory experience. As a result, they tend to analyze the appearance, aromas, mouthfeel, and finish. Correspondingly they avoid water, ice, and mixes.
- Collection and Investment: Casual drinkers purchase for immediate consumption, whereas serious connoisseurs build curated collections and invest in limited editions. For the most part, they have determined either that the collected bottle fits their tastes or their friends’ taste, or it is a low production bottle which has value to its scarcity. Better is materialistic.
Mention of NEAT in whiskey circles sparks controversy, yet NEAT needs no vindication because it performs a specific, functional purpose. NEAT unmasks and frees spirits’ hidden aromas from pungent ethanol for better detection, identification, evaluation, and enjoyment. Simply put, these subjects are the primary concerns of serious drinkers. However, they are rejected by the vast numbers of casual drinkers who stick by their iconic tulip because it means identification. “Everyone else uses it, so it must be the right glass.”
Separating Casual Whiskey Drinkers from Serious Whiskey Drinkers
We have meticulously examined the reactions of drinkers at whiskey tasting events. Casual drinkers can be further divided into four types: 1) Those seeking the highest ABV to satisfy their personal definition of quality or value, 2) Those seeking the oldest expression, 3) Those who love the label or bottle, and 4) Those on an ego trip to be first in their crowd to own and taste a new release. On the other hand, serious drinkers ask about barrel choices, inspirations. They evaluate to quantify the effects of special attributes on their personal tastes and preferences. “Do I like it?” or “Does it Fit my standards well enough that I need to buy it?”
Summary
For the serious spirits drinker, it is not about the ethanol, just the opposite. It is about a much deeper subject with a large learning curve. However, the real, but generally undiscussed issue is about a traditional glass blocking the way to learning. Transform from a casual enthusiast to a serious whiskey aficionado.
Could decades of drinking high ABV spirits from tiny rim glasses have changed drinkers’ expectations to accept high ethanol over flavor and craft? Is the industry capable of teaching a more beneficial approach, getting more, impassioned customer involvement? Get a head start on your own education with a serious whiskey lover’s professional diagnostic tool – NEAT.
Bio: George F Manska, CR&D, Arsilica, Inc.
Qualifications: Published sensory science researcher. BSME, NEAT glass co-inventor
Mission: Replace myth and misinformation with scientific truth through consumer education.
Contact: george@arsilica.com
More Information: www.theneatglass.com/shop
