Two machine learning algorithms can determine whether a whiskey is of American or Scotch origin and identify its strongest aromas, according to research published in Communications Chemistry. The results also suggest that the algorithms can outperform human experts at assessing a whisky’s strongest aromas.
A whiskey’s aroma is determined by a complex mixture of odorous compounds. This makes it highly challenging to assess or predict a whiskey’s aroma characteristics, or notes, based solely on its molecular composition.
Panels of human experts are often used to identify the strongest notes of a whiskey, but these require a significant investment in time, money, and training, and agreement between participants is often limited.
Andreas Grasskamp and colleagues assessed the molecular composition of seven American and nine Scotch…
