Professional Whisky Tasting And Tackling The Tasting Conundrum

Why is tasting whisky a conundrum? Regardless of your level of experience, expertise or exposure, there is one big challenge that sits at the heart of tasting, assessing, or analysing whisky. It impacts everyone from professional blenders, to tenacious tasters, to casual fans of a dram.

The conundrum is, how can we consistently and accurately measure a subjective experience such as flavour?

It may seem like a simple task on face value. However, when we delve into the very nature of our sensory processes, the challenge becomes extraordinary. Today we will be distilling this conundrum into its component parts. To explain its complexities, the solutions that have been so far devised, and how this knowledge will benefit you. So with lab coats and microscopes at the ready, let’s begin.

Firstly, what is a whisky tasting?

As we have previously explored in Whisky Begins With Asking: What Is Flavour?, the term tasting is inherently misleading. Taste, being limited to the taste buds, is somewhat restricted when compared to odour detection, aka the olfactory system. The fact is that we simply do not have a word that encompasses the process of experiencing whisky flavour in its entirety.

We could adopt the more accurate terms of sensory analysis and sensory assessment. But to the average whisky fan these may appear overly technical and about as appealing as counting quinoa. It’s at this point that we can see the sliding scale of whisky appreciation. On the one end with have technical analysis, and on the other we have enjoying a dram. Analysis vs hedonism. Although I’m sure that sometimes business does mix with pleasure!

The principles remain the same however. After all, we only have a limited amount of sensory inputs. Therefore, whether you are a professional taster or an occasional tippler, the same challenge exists. The difference is that at the professional end of the scale great lengths are taken to address the challenge, whilst at the other end it’s simply accepted, ignored, or not even considered. Why is this such a challenge?

Whisky flavour puzzlement

The fundamental riddle is that flavour is an entirely subjective experience. One that is reliant on our sensory processes. Processes that have a remarkable degree of person-to-person variation, as we have discovered previously in: Your Mind-Boggling Guide to Whisky, DNA, and Olfactory Diversity.

Because we are all so different, we will experience the same dram in different ways. Even your own sensitivity to flavour thresholds will fluctuate throughout the day based on your emotional state, fatigue, level of hunger, environment, and even what you are wearing. So how can it be possible to define a whisky’s flavour profile with any degree of accuracy?

For many people it may not seem like a big deal. You may feel that you align with a certain whisky reviewer’s opinions, and not others. It’s also an opportunity for debate amongst fellow dramatists (a term I’m officially hijacking). But for professional assessors in the industrial setting, it’s huge. Peeking into this world creates some interesting concepts for all whisky fans to ponder over, as you will discover next.

The world of professional whisky assessment

Sensory analysis or assessments are the popular industry terms. The whisky industry relies on scientific approaches for assessing samples, whether it’s mature whisky or new make spirit. These approaches therefore must be measurable, consistent, and repeatable. But given the subjective nature of the senses, how is this possible?

One approach is to use Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), which uses costly equipment to separate and identify the different compounds within a sample of spirit. While GC-MS can provide detailed chemical information which can support sensory analysis, it cannot account for the complex masking effects and chemical interactions that shape a whisky’s flavour in the real world.

Hence, when assessing the flavour of whisky in a way that is relevant for the consumer, nothing can beat the human senses. Which are bound by the issues of subjective experience. So how are such subjective variations within flavour assessment tackled?

Let’s break down how a scientific approach is applied to whisky sensory analysis, through a process called Quantitive Descriptive Analysis (QDA).

• Panellist selection. As we are all uniquely different when it comes to the senses, selecting participants that can detect key odour congeners and tastes at low thresholds is important. For example, some people have blind-spots for certain aromas and coriander tastes soapy to a great many people.
• Panellist training. Panellists must also be trained to identify specific odours and tastes using standardised tests such as those offered by FlavorActiv. These include not just the nice things such as honey, vanilla and coconut, but also off-notes such as decay, sulphur and cheese.
• Pre-selected flavour attributes. Rather than just being a free-for-all when it comes to individual flavour characteristics, lists of standardised attributes are commonly employed and agreed upon. A well-known example is the Scotch Whisky Research Institute’s Flavour Wheel (SWRI). Standardised lists help to create specific data that are comparable, as opposed to a complex mish-mash that cannot be easily organised.
• Standardised processes. Every aspect must be standardised to minimise inconsistencies. This includes the samples themselves such as the abv of spirit samples (normally reduced to 20% for nosing), the temperature of the samples, the order of the samples, and the actual volume of each sample. But also the process itself such as the amount of time the sample should be held in the mouth, how it is ‘chewed’ within the mouth, and timed palate recovery periods between samples.
• Reducing external influences. Every aspect of our surroundings will impact the experience of flavour. So to minimise theses impacts the environment should be controlled in terms of colours, lighting, sounds, aromas, ambient temperature etc. The time of day should also be considered, and eating and drinking prior to the assessment should be controlled.

As can be seen, when assessing whisky or spirit samples in an industrial sense, the priority is on reliability of data. This means reducing inconsistencies between panellists to an absolute minimum, which is no easy task. To remove 100% of inconsistencies is of course not possible, so control can only go so far. But these measures which have been developed over many years go a long way in the right direction. However, assessing spirit samples in such a controlled way is not without its drawbacks.

The limitations of professional whisky analysis

It’s clear how the QDA approach is very much reliant on trained panellists, a process that is both time-consuming and costly. But even with experienced panellists, and rigorous control measures, the data from QDA can still have a degree of ‘noise’ because, hey, we all have different genes, backgrounds and personalities. The other issue surrounds the use of the pre-selected flavour attributes.

To create data that is consistent, comparable, and transferable to visually presented flavour profiles, it’s obviously crucial to use standardised flavour attributes such as those incorporated into the SWRI flavour wheel.

As a side note, it’s important to understand that such flavour wheels were created specifically as a production tool, as opposed to being a consumer tool. Although some have been redesigned to be more consumer-friendly, such as Charlie McLean’s Whisky Wheel.

The limitations of this approach are therefore evident. Assessing spirit samples based on a pre-selected list of flavours creates the opportunity to overlook certain flavour attributes that are not included within the list. As a whisky fan, you will appreciate the vast and complex nature of flavours within a dram. A truly comprehensive list of flavour attributes would likely max-out your laptop’s internal storage. Hence the QDA approach serves the needs of the distillers and blenders, rather than the direct needs of the consumer.

The other end of the spectrum

Of course at the other end of the scale we find the flavour anarchists. A world of whisky flavour where anything goes, and the more extraordinary the better. Agave syrup on a gorse bush. Dried figs in pink Himalayan sea salt toffee. And liquorice creosote on a tug boat. With the entire world of vocabulary to play with, the possibilities are endless. And let’s face it, are a great deal of fun too.

Naturally, the process often becomes about as scientific as rules of thumb. Add a few drops of water, or maybe a dash, based on how hot it tastes. Perhaps accompanied by a meal, cheese, chocolate, or even a pint. When was the last time you even placed a thermometer in your whisky prior to tasting it? Call yourself an expert!!! Pfff.

Rather than scrutinising a dram in the manner of Formula 1 technicians on a test day, whisky is about pleasure, discovery and sharing. The scientific approach is merely a process that helps to create, develop and innovate great tasting whiskies. The interesting point is that nothing can really beat the human senses when it comes to whisky assessment.

Embracing the magic

Depending on the situation or occasion, you may find yourself anywhere along the sliding scale of whisky tasting, from professional panellist to simply enjoying the moment. You may adopt some standardised processes such as how much water to add or which glass to use, without going full lab-coat. But when even the most stringent control measures are employed, tasting or assessing whisky remains a subjective experience.

As such there will always be a degree of ‘noise’ or inconsistency when it comes to assessment data. Until someone can replicate the human senses with a machine, this remains the conundrum of whisky flavour. But then of course, with whose senses would the machine be calibrated to?

Because we are all so unique when it comes to sensory experiences, there is no absolute way of interpreting flavour. There is no ultimate method for experiencing a dram. One that is 100% pure and devoid of sensory variation, genetic differences or external influences. It’s one of the most exciting things about whisky. A little bit of magic that always manages to stay one step ahead of scientists.

What should you do with this information? Simply understand that there is a sliding scale of whisky appreciation. Some tasting notes will be born from science, whilst others will be born from artistic license. Understand the challenges that engulf measuring flavour in a standardised way. But ultimately understand the end point. The final destination is really just sitting down, opening a bottle, and enjoying a dram. Slainte!

Through sharing knowledge we can all learn to experience flavour on a deeper level. To be more in-tune with ourselves. And better understand what’s going on in the glass. Share this newsletter with someone who you know will enjoy it. Become part of the crusade to evolve and enhance whisky appreciation for everyone.