Passions of the Tongue: Meet the Artificial Whisky Taster
Whisky connoisseurs and tasting experts are often faced with the difficulty of discerning subtleties of flavor and taste, when drinking new brews with deceptively similar palates. When purchasing a brew of a proud tradition (and an equally exorbitant fee), it is wise to rely on a mechanism that ensures absolute accuracy in ascertaining the product’s originality.
Uwe Bunz, a researcher from Heidelberg University in Germany, and his state-of-art invention has come to the rescue of whisky lovers. This synthetic whisky taster tongue is capable of detecting whether a sample of whisky matches the information on its labelling.
“If you buy a crate of expensive whiskies, you can test if they are actually what you think they are,” says Bunz. This new artificial whisky taster can also differentiate between every bottle of whisky based on their age, brand, blend, and country of origin. This innovation makes use of fluorescent, water-soluble dyes. A little whisky is added to each of the fluorescent dyes, the combined solution either shines more brightly or turns dim. By doing this to multiple vials of several dyes, a unique pattern of brightening or dimming appears. A fingerprint of the whisky is formed.
“From fingerprints, you cannot normally deduce what ethnic background you are, or what your height is, or how old you are,” holds Bunz. Once the results are plotted on a graph, the patterns emerge. A clear map emerges, outlining the specific age and blend of a whisky, and beginning to define clear groups.
Researchers have analyzed about 33 American, Scottish, and Irish whiskeys for research so far. The team ran each sample six times, with only a milliliter of whisky. While the plates, and dyes used in the process cost only a few cents, the estimated cost of the machine is around 10,000 euros. Bunz anticipates that this artificial whisky taster will also help detect fake wines, drugs, and juices.
Scotch Single Malts Witness Growth Spurt
The single malt is something that a true whisky connoisseur will vouch for. Whisky purists prefer the single malt over everything else. Fermented from a mash that is made along with malted grain, exclusively in a single distillery. It is this repute of the revered Scotch whisky that has acted as a catalyst in increasing the export values to £1.8 billion during the first half of the year, with a total growth of 3.4%. The increase has been recorded across the globe, including the states comprising the largest markets of the whisky industry. This growth has significantly benefitted the whole UK economy and the export performance of the country. Scotch still is Britain’s greatest food and drink export item. It makes up almost a fifth of the alcohol sector’s overseas shipments.
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15TH CENTURY PUB REOPENS AFTER 2016 DECEMBER FIRE
A 15th century pub called Scotch Piper, Merseyside's very own slice of history, is all set for a big return this April. The local favorite has clearly withstood the test of time. Its authentic ales had once featured in CAMRA’s 2015 and earned the title of Liverpool’s Community Pub of the Year. However, in December last year, fate threw a wrench in the works as its century-old thatched roof went up in flames. In an effort to put out the blaze, the property had to be flooded with water, damage that turned out to be almost irreparable.
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