The nature and origins offlavour in whiskies are reviewed with the aim of developing a revised and simplified flavour wheel for training of sensory assessors. Scotch whiskies are perceived as having distinctive characters, generally recognised in pattern recognition (perception, macroscopic brain processing), rather than being subjected to a deconstruction process of evaluating attributes (sensation, microscopic brain processing). Although consumers use simple recognition judgements on whisky flavour in categorical assimilation, industry has a requirement for monitoring spirit quality that necessitates a more reductionist approach. Wltisky flavour wheels identify attributes, specific components offlavour character, which can be demonstrated to sensory assessors using reference standards. The advent of cyclodextrin bound reference standards has enabled communication of information on flavour character in training of assessors, as exploited in the brewing industry. A revised flavour wheel, with characters illustrated by reference standards, is proposed to assist sensory training on attributes of whisky flavour character.
A set of 16 compounds was selected from the literature as potential flavour standards for whisky profiling: acetic acid (sour), diacetyl (buttery), dimethyl tri sulphide (sulphury), ethyl hexanoate (fruity-appley), ethyl laurate (soapy), furfural (grainy), geraniol (floral), guaiacol (smoky), hexanal (grassy), iso-amyl acetate (fruity-banana), iso-valeric acid (sweaty), maltol (sweet), phenyl ethanol (floral), vanillin (vanilla), 4-vinyl guaiacol (spicy) and whisky lactone (coconut).Each compound, at 90% recognition threshold concentration, that at which 90% assessors recognise the flavour character, was added to 3 year old grain whisky diluted to 23% v/v. Tlte solutions were assessed by 72 distilling professionals (blenders, quality control and technical functions) and flavour attributes suggested without, and subsequently with, a prompt list were recorded. Descriptors with a frequency of >10% were examined. Only limited agreement was found across the industry. Agreement on reference standards and commonality in procedures for training of both blenders and sensory assessors would be of benefit to the whisky industries.
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