A Brandy Aroma Wheel for South African Brandy

Abstract

A Brandy Aroma Wheel was developed incorporating standardised descriptive terminology (descriptors) for South African brandy aroma. The wheel comprises two tiers of descriptors with 18 first-tier descriptors giving a broader definition of an aroma, while the 75 second-tier descriptors give a more precise definition. Reference standards have been developed for the second-tier descriptors. Brandy aroma scorecards have also been developed for use with the Brandy Aroma Wheel. South African brandy is a blended product. A detailed knowledge of the aroma and flavour qualities of the individual components is an essential component of the skill needed to combine individual brandies into a recognisable standard product. These skills are found in a small group of experts scattered throughout the indus-try. These experts, normally working in small groups within a company, tend to develop company-specific vocabularies. This has led to the use of different terminology to describe the same aroma nuance. Company-specific terminology is often difficult for outsiders to understand. Such non-standardised terminology also reduces the value of brandy evaluation data, making the interpretation of research results more difficult. The ideal product descriptive vocabulary should consist of terms that describe the aroma and are understood by the experts, who agree with each other regarding their meanings (Piggot, 1991). The general public (consumer) should also understand this vocabulary. To assist in training new judges and to ensure that experts from different companies refer to the same aroma nuance, it is necessary to have a set of reference standards that can be used to illustrate the meanings of terms (Meilgaard et al, 1982; Noble etal., 1987; Piggot, 1991).