Tasting & Sensory Evaluation Flashcards
7 cards from real CSP practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Tasting & Sensory Evaluation flashcards as text
What is the purpose of adding a few drops of water to a cask-strength Scotch before evaluation?
Answer: Dilution reduces alcohol vapors that can anesthetize olfactory receptors, releasing more aroma compounds
At very high ABV, ethanol can overwhelm olfactory receptors; adding water dilutes the alcohol, reducing vapor irritation and allowing more delicate aroma molecules to become apparent.
Which glassware shape is officially recommended for professional Scotch whisky evaluation and why?
Answer: A tulip-shaped or copita glass, to concentrate aromas at the rim
The tulip or copita glass concentrates volatile aromatic compounds at the narrowed rim, directing them toward the evaluator's nose for more precise and nuanced aroma detection.
A Scotch whisky exhibits a 'Maillard reaction' flavor profile. Which sensory descriptors would a taster most likely use?
Answer: Toasted bread, caramel, toffee, and roasted nuts
The Maillard reaction between amino acids and sugars during malting and distillation produces toasted, caramel, and nutty flavors characteristic of warm, cereal-derived browning reactions.
In Scotch sensory evaluation, 'balance' refers to which of the following?
Answer: The harmonious integration of all flavor components without any single element dominating unpleasantly
Balance in tasting refers to how well fruit, oak, malt, peat, spirit character, and other elements integrate so that no single component overwhelms the others unpleasantly.
What sensory characteristic does the term 'waxy' describe in Scotch whisky evaluation?
Answer: A textural mouthfeel resembling beeswax or paraffin, often associated with worm tub condensers and certain distillery styles
Waxy is a legitimate and prized mouthfeel/aroma descriptor—like beeswax, candle wax, or oilskin—often linked to distilleries using traditional worm tub condensers that retain heavier congeners.
During a blind tasting, a CSP candidate detects a rubbery, sulfury, eggy aroma. This is most likely caused by which compound?
Answer: Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S)
Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) produces rotten egg or struck-match aromas and is considered a fault in Scotch whisky, typically arising from yeast stress or contaminated wash.
What is the significance of 'phenol parts per million' (ppm) as a specification in Scotch whisky?
Answer: It quantifies the level of phenolic compounds in the malted barley, indicating the degree of peat smoke flavor
Phenol ppm is measured in the malted barley and indicates how heavily peated it is; higher ppm correlates with more intense smoky, medicinal flavors in the finished whisky.