Kami Newton
Rethinking nose-palate-finish: Are sensory assessments due an update?
Assessing whisky, or any other spirit for that matter, has for the large part adopted its methodologies from the world of wine. The tried and tested nose-palate-finish approach has become the gold standard for both the spirits industry and for consumers as it conforms to evolutionary logic and natural tendencies. However, both sensory knowledge and the spirits industry have dramatically progressed over the last 30 years. Is it time to reconsider our approach to assessing spirits and ask if the methods borrowed from the wine world are now outdated for spirits such as whisky?
Kami Newton has worked within the wine and spirits industry for 30 years and brings a wealth of experience in leading sensory panels, representing influential brands, and educating industry teams as well as consumers. Through The Sensory Advantage, Kami is passionate about sharing the insights from sensory science, to address common misconceptions, and empower teams to create more meaningful consumer experiences.
Kami answered some of our questions:
- Do you remember the first whisky you had in your life?
It was Edradour 10 year old, the first scotch whisky that was mild enough for my naive palate.
- Do you remember the last one?
St George Spirits Baller from San Francisco.
- Why do you think the topic is so fascinating?
Whisky is a remarkably diverse and complex drink, which creates endless opportunities for sensory exploration. It also raises interesting questions around how odour and flavour are perceived.
- The best setting to taste whisky?
Having a dram in the same place that it was made is hard to beat.
- Your favourite bottle and why?
The quality of whisky globally is so high and with so much to explore that it's impossible to pick a favourite, plus it depends on my mood, occasion etc. However, I'm currently loving some of the more off-the-wall flavour profiles from people like Woven, Fib, and The Heart Cut.
- Whisky pairing, if you really have to pair whisky with something?
A peated malt on oysters is always a classic for me.
- We usually limit whisky to a few countries, have you tasted great bottles from unusual countries?
With so many countries being home to well established whisky distilleries today, it no longer seems unusual to experience fabulous whiskies from places such as New Zealand, Australia, India, Japan, South America, and all over Europe.