WORDS
Chris Madigan
As much as we love to talk about the craft of creating a fine old spirit or the art of great cocktail-making, drinks production is, above all, science. Alcohol is the result of biochemisty – the action of a living catalyst (yeast) transforms a complex carbohydrate (glucose) into ethanol and CO2. All the subtle tasting notes in a spirit are volatile esters or phenols.
Drinking is also a science (although some drinkers are, of course, a certain type of artist) and recently, two separate brain experts have offered their insights into how our minds affect our experience of drinks. Professor Charles Spence runs an experimental psychology unit at Oxford University and is known as “the gastrophysicist”; neuroscientist Katherine Templar Lewis is also an expert in psychology and anthropology.

Cynics might baulk at their occasional use of words such as “mindfulness” (a state of bliss that can sometimes be mistaken for “self-absorption” when it comes at the expense of “thoughtfulness”). Others might point out that their advice comes in partnership with two premium drinks releases, which used the recommendations to inform tasting sessions with press and clients – Maestro Dobel 50 1970 Extra Añejo tequila for Spence; The Singleton of Glen Ord 40-Year-Old single-malt whisky for Templar Lewis. However, just about all academic endeavours these days require sponsorship, so why not?

What’s more, separately, the two have come to remarkably similar conclusions, which more than suggests there is something in this…
Professor Spence talks about “sensation transference”, stating that what we feel, or think, about one stimulus – a product’s packaging, background music, a venue – can be carried over and mimicked in our experience of what we are tasting.

Templar Lewis uses the phrase “sensorial maximalism”: ‘It’s the theory that our sensorial consciousness can be heightened through the curation of our external environment. Neuroaesthetics tells us how outside influences can heighten our senses and prime them to create the ultimate tasting experience. Through deploying various tactics that affect the five senses and beyond, individuals can achieve this state of Sensorial Maximalism before they enjoy The Singleton 40-Year-Old.’
The influence of the other senses on taste is not to be under-estimated. Templar Lewis starts with sight: ‘What colours are around you? Depth of colour will add to the feeling of richness and decadence, while warm colours like red, yellow and orange evoke feelings such as passion and enjoyment while also bringing out the sweeter vanilla and fruit.’
Spence agrees with the premise: ‘We taste first with our eyes. People are drawn to a golden caramel brown colour in drinks, such as Maestro Dobel 50 1970, because of the taste expectations that it sets of a rich, aged and flavourful tasting experience.’

However, while you might expect him to talk about removing visual distractions such as your phone screen, he has an interesting twist on that: ‘Take a picture of your drink – even if you never look at the picture again, this can help to lodge flavour experiences in your memory. Then put your phone away!’
Having said that, though, for the prolonged enjoyment of a drink, an external visual stimulus can be a good thing, he says: “Being in an elegant location or even watching a classy TV show has been shown to influence people’s taste responses positively.’
This correspondent, who tried to enjoy an excellent new Irish whiskey – the Redbreast Tawny Port Cask Edition – during the recent Ireland vs South Africa Rugby World Cup match and ended up eating three Gaviscon, would like to add: make sure it’s not a tense watch!
In terms of sound, Spence goes against tasting convention: ‘Professional tasters often suggest tasting in silence to concentrate on the taste/flavour of a drink. However, research shows enjoyment increases significantly if people listen to music that matches the taste/flavour profile of the drink – and that you personally really like.’

Templar Lewis supports this assertion: ‘Compositions that layer sound and melodies will increase dopamine production in the brain, increasing the feeling of pleasure as you taste. Finding your favourite track is often the best option to enhance your personal experience.’
Touch is also important, and more complex than you might assume. Templar Lewis points out that cold and heat are tactile sensations: ‘Make sure the temperature around you is warm and comforting. Soft fabrics such as velvets increase feeling states of richness and indulgence and can enhance the taste experience. Sit somewhere soft, velvety perhaps; the feel of the material under hand all adds to the taste you are about to experience.’
Spence also suggests rubbing a piece of velvet to highlight the smoothness of a drink, but – more controversially – also suggests using a piece of sandpaper to raise the profile of complex notes, especially in the aftertaste. (This might be an excuse Australian cricketers can try in future – ‘I was just highlighting the complexity of my sports drink’.)
Another important sensory source is the feel of the glass in hand. Templar Lewis says, ‘The shape, touch and weight of a vessel we drink out of influences our perception of taste. To bring out the velvety rich sensation of The Singleton 40-Year-Old, find your smoothest and heaviest glass to serve it in.’
Spence links the weight of glassware to perception of smell, as another example of sensation transference: ‘Research shows that holding something heavy in your hand, such as glassware, can help to enhance the perceived intensity of the aroma,’ he says.
Smell is, of course, the source of the vast majority of flavour. Taste itself only groups flavours into sweet, sharp, bitter, salty, umami and pseudo-tastes such as spiciness, astringency et al. As well as Spence’s surprising observation, Templar Lewis has a neat trick to prime your nose: ‘To bring your sense of smell back to neutral, we suggest that you smell the back of your hand. Our own scent is not just familiar but resets our sense of smell, which will be vital to the full experience.’
Professor Spence adds a couple of final legs in the psychological-cum-neurological route to the perfect tasting – timing and company. And the first again flies in the face of drinks-tasting orthodoxy… ‘Although professional wine and spirits tasters often try to schedule their tasting sessions for 11am (because this is when they believe that their flavour senses are working at their best), research shows that we tend to be more adventurous as the day proceeds. We also tend to be more experimental in what we taste when we are socialising with friends in the evening. Tastings should be done in good company. Pick a tasting partner who is in a good mood, upbeat and smiling rather than a frowning colleague or significant other given that the positive emotion associated with simply staring at someone who is smiling rather than unhappy can enhance our enjoyment of whatever we are tasting.’
Maestro Dobel 50 1970 Extra Añejo tequila (£2,200) is not 50 years old or from 1970 but its creator Juan Domingo “Dobel” Beckmann – CEO of Jose Cuervo – simply will not be told how confusing the name is. It is, however, a sumptuous tequila – over three years old before being further aged in Amarone wine casks imported from Italy. This finish infuses the tequila with notes of rich chocolate, coffee, nuts and dried fruits, as well as velvet mouthfeel. It’s dark and glowing, as well sensationally complex – something for every sense to transfer!
The Singleton 40-Year-Old (£3,300) is the last in the Epicurean Odyssey series from the Glen Ord distillery on the Black Isle (after The Singleton 38 and 39). It was finished in Ron Zacapa XO casks, turning it into a rich, fruity and smooth experience like a high-quality rum and raisin-flavoured dark chocolate. Sensorial maximalism indeed. To follow Katherine Templar Lewis’s five-step path to the perfect tasting, click The Singleton link below.
hedonism.co.uk/maestro-dobel-50; diageorareandexceptional.com/the-singleton