Category: The NEAT Newsletter

The Finer Points on Becoming a Better Spirits Evaluator Daily, we see, smell, taste, and feel everything we come into contact with. Moreover, our sensory systems remain the only contact with the world outside. Therefore, our sensory abilities and perception become extremely important to us, yet we take them for granted. Becoming a better spirits…

How America Learned to Love Ethanol Burn and Why Science Says It’s Time to Reconsider In NEAT science—sensory science—the nose serves as one of the body’s strongest warning systems against poisons and irritants. Your nose detects what your glass delivers, but ethanol irritates the nasal passages and masks subtle aromas, making them difficult to recognize.…

Tasting Observations are Important to Revealing Hidden Consumer Psychology Observations at tastings are revealing important clues to consumer psychology. We see you at whiskey, tequila, and rum tastings. Whether you are an attendee or administrator, your attitudes toward high ABV spirits and ethanol become apparent and provides insight as to how corporate brand ambassadors play…

Bias Works to Corrupt Results and Destroy Quality Assessment Bias works to corrupt evaluation results, and worse, they destroy valuable spirits quality assessments. Psychology endeavors to provide explanations for human thoughts, actions, and beliefs and biases. Carefully screening evaluators uncovers bias. Strong beliefs and biases create barriers to acceptance of functional science, particularly relating to…

Rating Accuracy is the Most Important Objective For competitions, rating accuracy must be the most important, primary objective. In general, spirits competitions offer distillers a path to brand recognition and many help consumers make informed decisions. However, there are those who place their highest priority on profits. Consequently, they neglect critical choices of glassware. They…

Why Cask-Strengths and Over-proofs? All for the love of ethanol? Over the last decade, new releases and enthusiastic interest have driven growth. This has led to a strong rise in cask-strength whiskey sales. Distillers bottle cask-strength spirits straight from the barrel without diluting them to the 40% ABV (alcohol by volume) standard. They offer more…

Flavor Intensity is the By-product of Great Design Great design is the architect of flavor intensity, and flavor intensity is the by-product of great design. Also, great design in sensory science is about satisfying the objective of improving evaluation. Arsilica, Inc. is dedicated to sensory science research for all alcoholic beverages, spirits, wine, and beer.…

Raise Your Spirits with a Better Glass – NEAT is the Best Spirits Glass It’s all about the glass: Raise your spirits in a better glass. NEAT is the best glass. Many well-informed educators in the industry simply overlook the glass. Is it on purpose, or is it just not considered important? Side-by-side comparison of…

Unexpected New Changes are Welcomed to the Spirits Industry Unexpected, new changes are coming to the spirits industry. We’ve refocused on a broader profile of the spirits taster and drinker. As a sensory research company since 2002, we have noticed the public’s extreme and unexpected predilection for alcohol, particularly among neat, straight whiskey drinkers. This…

Your Preferences are More Important than Marketing Claims Your preferences matter far more than brand claims and marketing appeals to your emotions and identity. Glassware that concentrates ethanol can distort your perceptions and influence your purchasing decisions. Spirits brands also use suggestion to shape consumer choices. To recognize these influences, step back and examine how…

Barrel Age and ABV Do Not Indicate Better Quality Barrel age and higher % ABV do not indicate higher quality. Having been preconditioned to high ABV (alcohol by volume) through the decades by using the tulip shape as a spirits tasting glass, the general drinking public has come to believe more ethanol equals higher quality.…

Cynical Tasters Will Never Admit to Poor Olfactory Sensory Perception There are three basic categories of poor sensory perception in the olfactory: (1) Ego and an inflated predisposition to one’s personal expertise, (2) attitude toward learning, and (3) lack of knowledge. We can help with (3), the rest is up to you. Many tasting attendees…

Popular Glassware is the Taster’s Worst Enemy The Taster’s worst enemy is located right under our noses. The most popular glassware is the common, tulip-shaped glass we have historically used for centuries to taste and evaluate spirits, unconsciously rules our entire approach to spirits tasting and enjoyment. Why Glassware is the Enemy The vast majority…

Secrets of the Stem, Silent, Ingenious Glassware Innovator The stem is a silent innovator of the glassware industry. Few know the secrets of how stems influenced the public, the rich, the kings and queens of the world. Why stems? This short history sheds light on how ingenious, stemmed glassware became fashionable throughout Europe, Russia, Great…

Personalities of Group Tasting Attendees Let’s go a little deeper into the psyche of the spirits drinker, show you how to recognize certain personalities. The next time you go to a liquor store tasting, whiskey club event, or a small gathering, change your perspective. Rather than taking an active part in tasting comments, focus attention…

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…

The Truth About Sea Salt Aromas in Whisky Sea salt aromas have never and will never appear in Scotch whisky distilled in the islands, or anywhere else, for that matter. Sea salt is sodium chloride, and it has no smell. Serious whisky drinkers read constantly to discover new information on spirits. Scientists keep quiet while…