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
A taster identifies 'tropical fruit' notes—mango, pineapple, passion fruit—in a Speyside single malt. Which class of flavor compounds is primarily responsible?
Answer: Higher-chain esters formed during fermentation and early distillation
Fruity tropical notes are produced by ethyl esters—such as ethyl hexanoate (pineapple) and ethyl octanoate (tropical fruit)—formed during fermentation by yeast metabolism of fatty acids.
In comparative tasting, what is the primary advantage of evaluating whiskies 'blind' (without knowing the label)?
Answer: It minimizes cognitive bias, allowing the evaluator to assess flavor objectively without brand expectation influencing perception
Blind tasting eliminates confirmation bias and label expectation effects, ensuring the evaluator's scores reflect only what is in the glass rather than brand reputation or price point.
Which of the following best describes the concept of 'distillery character' in sensory evaluation?
Answer: The unique intrinsic flavor signature of a distillery's spirit driven by still shape, condensers, and fermentation, detectable regardless of cask influence
Distillery character is the inherent spirit signature—influenced by still geometry, cut points, fermentation, and condenser type—that persists beneath cask and aging influences across all expressions.
A sensory panel uses a triangle test to evaluate two batches of Scotch whisky. What does this test determine?
Answer: Whether tasters can reliably distinguish an 'odd' sample from two identical samples, confirming a perceptible difference exists
The triangle test presents three samples (two identical, one different) and asks tasters to identify the odd one out; statistical analysis of results confirms whether a perceptible difference exists between batches.
When evaluating a very old Scotch whisky (30+ years), what over-oaked off-note might a taster encounter?
Answer: Bitter tannins and sawdust or plywood notes from excessive wood extraction
Over-maturation extracts excess wood tannins and dry, woody compounds that produce bitter, drying, sawdust-like or astringent flavors that overpower the spirit's more desirable characteristics.
In Scotch whisky evaluation, how does the concept of 'complexity' differ from 'intensity'?
Answer: Intensity measures the strength or concentration of a dominant flavor; complexity refers to the number and variety of distinct flavor layers present
Intensity describes how powerful or pronounced a flavor is, while complexity describes how many distinct, evolving, and interesting flavor layers the whisky reveals during the full tasting experience.
What does the abbreviation 'GC-MS' refer to in Scotch whisky flavor analysis, and what is its relevance to sensory evaluation?
Answer: Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry, an analytical tool that identifies and quantifies flavor compounds to support and validate human sensory panel findings
GC-MS separates and identifies individual chemical compounds in a whisky sample, providing objective chemical data that can be cross-referenced with sensory panel perceptions to map flavor compounds to descriptors.