Application of Sensory Descriptive Analysis to Complete the Current Official Card of the Galician Orujo Spirits

Ten samples of young Galician Orujo spirits from different grape varieties were evaluated using sensory descriptive analysis by a panel of 12 professional Orujo tasters. The aim of this study was to generate attributes to sensorially describe this kind of drinks in order to complete the current official card and permit their differentiation and varietal characterization. In the first session of analysis, the Orujo tasters identified a high number of descriptors, that they were then reduced after the elimination of hedonic terms and inappropriate attributes by using statistical methods. High significant correlations were found between the new descriptive parameters selected and the original terms employed to qualify the Orujo samples. Herbaceous, floral, ensilage and heads for aroma, spicy–caustic and sweet for taste and fruity for aftertaste were the attributes that showed significant differences between the Orujo samples. These terms may qualitatively be considered as typical descriptors of Orujos from Galicia. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS In the original card employed to qualify Galician Orujo spirits, only hedonic terms are used, all of them with an important subjective influence. The new card, in which descriptive terms generated by the official panel are included, too, permits, besides qualifying of the samples, defining of their profile in the same tasting session. With the new terms, the tasters can justify the total points given to each sample. The final sensory profile obtained for a single Orujo variety will result of a large group of Orujo samples tasted during several sessions. This tool will be very useful for the Regulating Commission to obtain more information about the sensory characteristics of this kind of alcoholic beverage and for the corresponding distillery, in case a sample was rejected, to know which attributes were found as negatives.