The requirements for Chinese Baijiu (白酒) tasting can be summarized as follows, along with their English translations and corresponding standards:
1. Tasting Environment Requirements
Lighting: Adequate, soft lighting to observe clarity and color. Temperature should be maintained between 16–26°C, with humidity at 30–70% .Odor Control: The room must be free from external odors or contaminants to avoid interfering with sensory evaluation .2. Qualification of Tasters
Training: Tasters must undergo specialized training and pass asses***ents to ensure accurate sensory judgment. They should be familiar with Baijiu’s flavor profiles (e.g., sauce-aroma, strong-aroma) and terminology .Sensitivity: Evaluators must have sharp sensory organs (sight, ***ell, taste) and avoid biases during evaluation .3. Sample Preparation
Temperature Balance: Samples should be equilibrated to 20–25°C before tasting .Pouring Volume: Pour 15–20 mL into a clean, odorless tasting glass (e.g., ISO standard cups) .4. Sensory Evaluation Steps
Visual Asses***ent (Appearance):Observe clarity, color (e.g., transparency, absence of sediment), and bubble formation ("酒花", distillate bubbles) by tilting the glass against a white background .Olfactory Asses***ent (Aroma):First, sniff the static aroma at 10–20 mm from the nose. Then, gently swirl the glass to release volatile compounds and assess complexity (e.g., grain, fermentation, or floral notes) .Special cases: Evaluate residual aroma in an empty glass after pouring out the sample .Taste Asses***ent (Palate):Take a ***all sip (0.5–2.0 mL) and let it coat the mouth. Evaluate taste attributes such as sweetness, bitterness, acidity, and astringency, as well as mouthfeel (e.g., ***oothness, burning sensation) .Style Evaluation:Summarize overall balance, aftertaste, and whether it aligns with typical Baijiu styles (e.g., sauce-aroma Moutai, strong-aroma Wuliangye) .5. Terminology and Standards
Flavor Wheel: Use standardized terms like "grain aroma" (粮香), "fermented aroma" (发酵香), and "aged aroma" (陈香) to describe sensory characteristics .Reference Standards: Follow national standards such as GB/T 33405-2016 (白酒感官品评术语) and GB/T 10345-2022 (白酒分析方法) for consistency .Example English Translations of Key Terms:
酒花: Distillate bubbles粮香: Grain aroma酱香型: Sauce-aroma type感官品评: Sensory evaluation品酒员: Professional taster/sensory evaluatorFor detailed protocols, refer to the GB/T 33404-2016 (白酒感官品评导则) and ISO 6658-2017 (Sensory ***ysis—Methodology—General guidance) .