AI has just achieved another milestone: it can now distinguish whiskies better than you

Another victory for artificial intelligence. An AI-powered algorithm has identified the five strongest notes of each analyzed beverage with more precision than any member of a panel of expert tasters.

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The researchers have used this technology to predict the notes that whisky releases and determine whether a drink has been made in the United States or Scotland, two of the places where the most whisky is produced in the world, with differences ranging from the type of production to the ingredients used.

The work represents a step forward towards automated systems capable of predicting the complex aroma of whisky from its molecular composition. Expert panels often evaluate woody, smoky, buttery, or caramelized aromas, which can help ensure they do not vary substantially between batches of the same product.

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Determining the aroma of a whisky is not an easy task. Most of the stronger notes of the spirit are a complex mixture of chemical substances that interact in the nose and even mask each other to create a particular aromatic impression. These interactions make it extremely difficult to predict how the whisky will smell based on its chemical signature.

For the latest work, the researchers obtained the chemical composition of 16 American and Scottish whiskies, including Jack Daniel’s, Maker’s Mark, Laphroaig, and Talisker, and details of their aromas from a panel of 11 experts. The information was used to train artificial intelligence algorithms to predict the five main aromas and the origin of the beverages from their molecular components.

One of the algorithms had an accuracy of over 90% in distinguishing American alcoholic beverages from Scottish ones, although the performance would likely decrease with beverages it had not been trained on.

On average, it identified the five strongest notes of each whisky with greater accuracy and consistency than any of the expert panel members. The results have been published in Communications Chemistry.

The compounds menthol and citronellol helped identify American whiskies, which often have a caramel note. Methyl decanoate and heptanoic acid were important for identifying Scotch whisky, which usually has a smoky or medicinal aroma.

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Researchers see applications that go beyond whisky, from detecting counterfeit products through discrepancies in their smell to finding the best way to mix old recycled plastics, which can develop unpleasant odors, into new products without the odor being noticeable.