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If you really want to understand this type of aroma note – a key aroma/flavour element of Bourbons - it is worth your while, and also great fun, to spend an evening with friends making fresh butterscotch and caramel. Butterscotch is made with brown sugar. Its primary flavours come from chemical reactions between the brown sugar molecules and those of the fatty-rich butter molecules. It typically also contains milk/cream-derived aromas but they are not as prominent as caramel. This type of aroma is absolutely defined by its title and it is an especially enticing warm aroma that gives a distinctive...

This Aroma/Flavour type can be very subtle in wine and you may typically experience an overall impression of the kind of freshness, lightness and airiness you associate with melons, along with the slightly green-watery freshness you associate with watermelons. When we speak of lightness and airiness we can think of the Chardonnay wines, with their crisp, green refreshing aromas, where a number of citrus aroma notes and other allied fruity notes are prominent. So it is no surprise to find that some experts are definite on a melon nuance in this family of wines - others being less sure. The soft and...

Spicy notes are important in the flavour profiles of many Whisk(e)y types and brands and they represent a large family of Aroma/Flavour types. Unfortunately, in general, they are not dealt with in a very satisfactory manner in most books and articles regarding whisk(e)y. As an example of the category, one particular spicy note that we present in our Whisky Aroma Standards Kit is easy to learn - and then to recognise - in spirits. It is described as a “clove-like-spicy” and it is based on a molecular structure from the Phenolic family – Eugenol. See our Whisky Aroma Kit for...

Great Aroma Academy Sensory Training Class at the Moonshine University in the Distilled Spirits EpiCentre in Louisville

The aroma profile of lavender blends beautifully with the juniper notes in a Gin – and it is surprising that more Gin brands do not include this wonderfully fresh, sweet, floral aroma and flavour. When nosing the lavender aroma in the Aroma Academy Gin Aroma Training Kit, a floral aroma note is immediately evident on the aroma strip and it gradually becomes discernible as lavender against the subtle juniper background. The scent of lavender is well-known to most of us - and it has a special place in the affections of many. To walk through a lavender field, whilst the flowers...