Long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) have sparked much conversation within the scotch whisky multiverse over the years. These tyrants of turbidity are the architects of making some whiskies go cloudy once water or ice are introduced. Hence, they are routinely removed in some whiskies through chill-filtration. But does chill-filtering whisky affect its taste?

A conclusive answer is yet to be published, however, recent studies on Baijiu (China’s traditional spirit), have shed new light on how LCFAs interact with key aroma compounds, and the results are both enlightening and surprising. These findings could have profound implications for Scotch whisky, particularly as interest in mouthfeel, texture, and flavour retention grows.

You pour yourself a dram of whisky, hold it up to the light, and immediately, words flow effortlessly. Amber, deep gold, russet, mahogany. The colour is easy to define. But then, you bring the glass to your nose, take a deep inhale, and suddenly... hesitation. What exactly is that aroma? Something sweet? Maybe fruity? Or is it more like an old leather armchair next to a roaring fire?

This is the great paradox of whisky appreciation—describing its colour is straightforward, but putting its flavour into words can feel like trying to explain a dream. The reason? Flavour is one of the most elusive, subjective, and neurologically complex experiences we have, and our language, perception, and even biology conspire to make it tricky to articulate.

You close your eyes and raise the glass to your nose – dark berry fruits, an old leather armchair, and fresh pencil shavings all emerge within a magnificent bouquet. But here’s the thing. Obviously none of these objects are bobbing about in your chosen tipple. So how is it that we can picture them so vividly?

Each of these scents is made up of hundreds of individual odour molecules, yet your brain interprets them as a single, unified aroma such as old leather armchair. This is the magic of odour objects, the brain’s ability to take chaotic sensory input and transform it into something meaningful. But how does this happen? And what does it mean for the way we experience whisky, wine, and other complex flavours?

Once upon a time, ordering a whisky meant little more than pointing at a bottle and nodding sagely as it was poured into a glass. The thrill lay in the liquid alone, rather than storytelling. No grand spectacle, just the quiet transaction of drinker and dram. But times have changed. Whisky (and the wider spirits world) is no longer just about what’s inside the glass, rather, everything that happens around it.

Flavour isn’t in the whisky - it’s in your mind. What we experience as taste is actually an illusion crafted by the brain, blending sensory inputs like smell, taste, and texture with memory and culture. This explains why no two people experience the same whisky in quite the same way, and why even your own perception of flavour can change from day to day. Understanding this secret frees us from the pressure of ‘getting it right’ and opens up a world of exploration and personal connection to every dram.

The way we drink is changing. From the rise of low- and no-alcohol options to consumers seeking more experiential flavour interactions, the drinks industry is entering a new era. As these shifts take hold, understanding flavour – and the science behind it – is becoming more important than ever.

We are entering an age where sensory knowledge is playing an increasingly important role in people’s lives. The old doctrine of nose-palate-finish is no longer fit for purpose as consumers seek more meaningful and forward-thinking ways to explore what’s in their glass.

Taste conceals fascinating secrets that have the power change how you taste whisky, wine, and spirits. Not only is the sensation of taste made up predominantly of aroma, we also smell aromas in two different ways. Discover how this works and the implications for how your ‘taste’ in our expert’s guide: the Surprising Secrets of Taste and Smell.

Flavour doesn’t exist in your glass, it exists only in your mind. Such a notion may sound like heresy, but as we peel away the sensory layers, the reality of flavour becomes apparent. Clinging to the idea that flavour exists outside of one’s own consciousness, as we shall see, is detrimental to brands, to consumers, and to the future of food and drink. Now is the time to shift the narrative, and bring the sensory experience into the 21^st century.

Whisky ambassadors represent the contact point between brands and consumers. It is their role to create the most impactful, engaging, and memorable experiences that shine the best light on their products. The Sensory Advantage shares 3 hacks that whisky ambassadors can use to enhance their whisky tastings and invite their guests to a have deeper relationship with flavour.

The vocabulary of whisky, wine, or other tastings, is an art in its own right. Yet such semantics often drive a divide between experts and novices when it comes to tastings. All too often newcomers can feel a sense of intimidation and a fear of saying the wrong thing. Today we break down those barriers to make flavour accessible to all.

Any whisky drinker will understand that adding water to whisky alters how it tastes. Even just one or two drops can have a significant impact. But what is not widely understood is what chemical changes occur in your dram with a little water. Today we explore the topic in detail, a shed light on the remarkable nature of adding water to whisky.

Applying psychological concepts such as crossmodal correspondences to wine, whisky, or gin tastings can create immersive, multi-sensory experiences that elevate how participants perceive flavours. Here’s how you could practically incorporate these concepts into your tastings:

Whisky tastings can be stern affairs with participants prioritising the look of competency over having fun. After all, who wants to do or say the wrong thing? To appear competent, it's natural to look towards the professionals, who at the top of the ladder deploy tactics to beat hedonistic subjectivity out of the door with a flat stick. But whisky tasting is hedonism in action, and we should encourage embracing it rather than following those who look like they have secret knowledge.

Mouthfeel is the unspoken hero of flavour. Imagine wine without tannins, custard without creaminess, or butter without fat. Yet it is rarely discussed in detail or mentioned beyond a simple 'rough' or 'smooth'. To understand mouthfeel in its entirety, whether in the context of wine tasting, whisky tasting, or rum tasting, our expert guide will explain the different components that make up mouthfeel one at a time.

What is flavour? Is it taste - is it palate - is it aroma - or is it something other? So much confusion surrounds the term flavour that it has become a hurdle for consumers in need of clarity and simplification. As it turns out, there's a lot more to flavour than you may have thought. But understanding its meaning is the first step into an entire world of revelations.