Displaying all aromas for easy access, avoiding overly abundant, nose-numbing ethanol, and detecting the subtler aromas usually masked by ethanol are the basic guidelines for choosing a suitable diagnostic glass to give the nose its best chance to work to its fullest capabilities. How does glass shape affect aroma detection? Choosing a functional tasting glass …
Aromas and flavor: Many drinkers don’t understand how the vanilla, honey, citrus, leather, and wood got into their spirit glass, or whiskey (or other spirits) and some believe they’re added after distillation. Not true. Heat and chemical interactions of fermentation and distillation create the same odorous compounds in spirits found naturally in vanilla beans, honey, …
Why swirl? Taken for granted by the serious drinker, and looked upon with skepticism by the newbie, swirling is an essential part of the nosing and evaluating process. No swirling = no evaporation = no smell. Swirling enhances evaporation by adding more aromas to the vapor cloud for detection. Practice vigorous swirling to create more …
The basic theory of olfactory: In 2004, the Nobel Prize was awarded to Richard Axel and Linda B. Buck for their discoveries of odorant receptor function and organization of the olfactory system (see the diagram below). This theory is the present mainstay in olfactory sensory research and states that every olfactory receptor is a “lock” …
Smell is the most underappreciated and neglected sense we have, that is, until we stop to smell the roses, whiskey or rum, etc., and focus more on what is coming into our nostrils. As we humans evolved, we became less dependent on the natural survival mechanisms of the senses. The ability to locate food and …
Aroma: Human perception of molecules emanating from food or beverage detected by human olfactory receptors. Flavor: The Wikipedia definition of flavor is sufficient for the scope of our discussions. Flavor is the sensory impression of food or other substances, and is determined primarily by the chemical senses of taste and smell. The “trigeminal senses”, which …
Background: In 2012, we at Arsilica, Inc. began posting a series of “Truth or Myth” articles to benefit serious spirits drinkers and collectors and the response was overwhelmingly positive. During our quest for an ultimate spirit glass we became deeply involved in sensory science and discovered how little spirits drinkers actually know about science and …
