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19 February 2008
Interview with Olivier Fagnen (Scotch whisky research insititute)
By Charles MacLean

Olivier Fagnen is a process research scientist and works for the Scotch Whisky Research Institute (SWRI). His technical understanding of malt whisky has been invaluable to the Society's Tasting Panel for several years now. Charles MacLean talks to him about the relationship between chemistry and flavour description.

I had spent the morning with aprofessor of perfume, George Dodd, who has just created a "Scotch Whisky Aroma Nosing Kit", so by the time I met Olivier in the evening I was well up on my chemistry. We plunged straight in:

OF: "Distillation is either very basic chemistry or extremely complex chemical engineering. The only way to understand it is to do it - and there's a lot we still don't completely understand! This is how I spend most of my time at the SWRI: doing trial distillations in order to understand how to control the process, with a view to achieving consistency.

"A key part of my work at the moment is to do with the role of copper in pot-still distillation. We know copper influences the final composition of the spirit; chemical reactions take place between the spirit, as vapour and liquid, and the copper, which affect its flavour. These reactions can be affected by several parameters like temperature, acidity, rate of distillation, with copper being more reactive in some part of the system than others . . . etc. We are exploring how these parameters might affect flavour and how to control them".

CM: "How do you judge the influence on flavour?"

OF: "By nosing and (sometimes) tasting. As you know, 'flavour' is a combination of aroma and taste. Organoleptic assessment underpins everything we do at the SWRI. All of us spend time each day nosing samples. There are experiments going on continually, constantly changing parameters, and the findings have to be evaluated constantly. Of course we also look at new make and mature whisky samples for our member companies".

CM: "A process a bit like The Tasting Panel?"

OF: "Well, not exactly! The SWRI panels have to be as objective and scientifically accurate as possible. All external influences are eliminated, for example samples are coded and assessed under red lighting to eliminate any bias relating to their colour. The language we use is also strictly defined, based on attributes that appear on the SWRI's Scotch Whisky Flavour Wheel. These comprise of a combination of general flavour terms (e.g. vanilla, smoky), aromas that relate to odour-bearing chemicals that occur naturally in whisky (e.g. estery, sulphury) and characteristics associated with particular stages in the distilling process (e.g. feinty). Statistical analysis of the data takes the responses of each panellist into account in drawing up an overall flavour profile of the product.

"The Society's Panel, by contrast, encourages subjective interpretation. It is 'hedonic', as in 'hedonism', 'the pursuit of pleasure' - and bases its bottling recommendations on pleasant flavours. {{Quality is a matter of personal perception, influenced by mood, memory, the time of day.}} We indulge this, and exult in the variety we have to choose from. By contrast, the words 'better' and 'best' are simply not in the vocabulary of the sensory scientist!

"I would say, though, that on either Panel - analytical or hedonic - the two essentials are self-confidence and honesty. There is no such thing as the perfect descriptor, and on The Tasting Panel the language we use is not defined, it is personal: individual's descriptions balanced by the other members of the team.

"Obviously, my chemical knowledge influences the way I describe flavours, but I adjust my use of language to what will be understood by the membership. If as a chemist I identify 'feints', as a member of the Society's Panel I would describe the aroma as 'leathery', or 'tobaccolike' or 'rancid butter'!"

CM: "How did you become involved with the Society?"

OF: "By good fortune! My first degree was in Applied Biology from the University of Toulon, my home town. At the end of it, I had to choose between continuing my studies in Marseilles or Napier Universities. I chose the latter and arrived in September 1993 with all my worldly possessions in a Peugeot 205, having crossed from Zebrugge to Hull and simply following the signs pointing north. My first night in Scotland was spent on

Portobello beach!

"I joined the SWRI in 2001, and soon after I was having a drink with a friend, Craig Allan, in Cloisters Bar. We fell into conversation with a girl who was an enthusiastic member of the Society, and went to check out The Vaults next week. Craig got a job as barman, and I was invited to join the Panel. The rest is history..."

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