Explore The flavors Of Indian cuisine In Budapest : Indian Palate
Sensory evaluation of cider rev 2015
1. Sensory Elements of Cider
Taste, Mouthfeel, Flavor, Aroma
Charles McGonegal & Gary Awdey
CiderCon 2015
Chicago, IL
2. Methodology
• A series of spiked samples to highlight
elements
– First Flight : Taste and Mouthfeel
– Short Break
– Second Flight : Aroma and Flavor
• Keep your Reference Sample!
– Request more reference as needed
– We’ll tell you which other samples to keep
• Taste as for wine
– Swirl, Sniff, Slurp, Chew
– Bread & water for palate cleansing
18. Aroma & Flavor
Ethyl Acetate
• <50 ppm solution: indistinctly fruity, may
be a positive attribute
• 50-150 ppm: slightly sour, solventy
• >150 ppm solution: harsh, sour,
reminiscent of nail polish remover at
higher concentration
• Sample presented is 120ppm.
• A component of vinegar (along with acetic
acid)
19. Aroma and Flavor
• Ethyl Acetate Classified as volatile acidity
• Temporary byproduct of normal
fermentation (in moderate levels)
• A product of acetic acid and ethanol
(warning sign of acetification)
• Directly from Zymomonas (bacteria),
especially in French cider
22. Aroma & Flavor
Acetaldehyde
• Sensed as: Grassy taste, raw apple skins,
bruised apples, green apples
• At higher levels it may be a sign of cider
sickness (Framboisé)
• Reminiscent of banana peel or rotten
lemon
• Produced from pyruvate intermediate
caused by Zymomonas infection
23. Aroma & Flavor
Acetaldehyde
– Zymomonas is resistant to SO2 treatment
– Stopped by pH less than 3.7 and lack of glucose/
fructose
– Zymomonas likes warm temperature 25-30
degrees C (77-86 degrees Fahrenheit)
27. Aroma & Flavor
• Sensed as: buttery, artificial butter flavor,
butterscotch flavor, rancid butter
• 0.2-0.4 ppm may round out flavor in some
ciders but there is no consensus on
desirability
• Greater than that (especially above 1 ppm)
it becomes a clear detractor
• Sample used is 2 ppm
30. Aroma & Flavor
Fusel Esters
• Fusel esters are produced by yeast during
fermentation.
• Several yeasts are offered by various
suppliers to enhance this character
• Acetates added as “natural flavor” blur the
lines between cider as a craft product and
manufactured commodity
• Sample presented is a blend of propyl,
amyl, isoamyl and phenethyl acetates
33. Aroma & Flavor
“The 4-Es”
• 4-ethyl phenol (plastic Band-Aid, mothballs,
dog feces) 500 ppb
• 4-ethyl guaiacol (smoky ham, clove, spicy)
1 PPM
• 4-ethyl catechol (barnyard, horse blanket) 2
2 ppm
• Commonly found in English West Country
style ciders
34. Aroma & Flavor
“The 4-Es”
• Produced by lactobacillus
• Legal caveat: It is starting to be more
apparent which bacilli produce more
desirable results. However the only
bacteria currently approved by the TTB for
MLF in wine is Oenococcus oeni (nee
Leuconostoc oeni).
37. Aroma & Flavor
• Sample 14 X Reference
• Interactive!
• Add the contents of the vial to the base a little
at a time
• Where do you like it? ¼, ½, all of it?
41. Aroma & Flavor
Mousiness
• At near-threshold levels it reminds some
people of Cheerios (toasted oat cereal)
• At higher levels it reminds people of the
bottom of a rodent cage or wet animal fur
• A serious fault in cider when detected
42. Aroma & Flavor
Mousiness
• Ability to detect mousiness varies greatly
from person to person
• Potentially a source of significant
disagreement between people evaluating
cider
43. Aroma & Flavor
Mousiness
• Source: Lysine non-thermal Malliard products
• Stable at low pH (high acid)
• Volatile at higher pH (reduced acid)
• Volatilizes to various degrees in saliva in the mouth
44. Aroma & Flavor
Mousiness
•Not caused by brettanomyces but related to
conditions that favor brett:
• Oxygenation poor handling or storage
conditions
• Low SO2
-Not enough added
-No free SO2 remaining due to being bound by products of
excessive amount of rotten fruit
45. Aroma & Flavor
Mousiness
Baking soda mouth rinse
-Temporarily increases sensitivity to
mousiness for most people by raising pH of
the mouth
-Useful in competitions in verifying presence
of mousiness during judging (and settling
disagreement)
-No special recipe—just a small spoon of
baking soda stirred into a glass of water.