Wanted: 300 volunteers for free multisensory whisky experiment
A top scientist needs YOU for the world's first scientific experiment into the senses and the taste of whisky... and it's completely free. Andrew Webb went to find out more.
"We’re doing this whisky experiment…" said the voice at the other end of the line "I’m in!" came my swift reply, and so later that day I was tasting The Singleton 10 year while enjoying a variety of other sensory stimulus. Without giving too much away, let me say that the results were very interesting.
The experiment is part of a wider study entitled ‘Tasting Notes: Assessing the effect of the multisensory atmosphere and ambiance on people’s perception of whisky’, and it is being run by Professor Charles Spence and a team of sensory architects called Condiment Junkie. Both parties have explored this area before, creating a ‘Sound of the Sea’ dish with Heston Blumenthal for The Fat Duck. They believe that developing a better understanding of how our brains process the senses will lead to a change in the design of future drinking environments.
Sound great, I want to join in!
Great, the drop-in experiment (called 'The Singleton Sensorium') will run from 6:30pm - 9:30pm on Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st March at 79 Beak Street in Soho, London. People will be invited to enter three different worlds and note down how the different sounds, smells and visuals in the spaces enhance flavours in The Singleton single malt whisky.
Professor Charles Spence is seeking 300 recruits for The Singleton Sensorium. Willing participants should email the Prof at laboratory@condimentjunkie.co.uk to apply to take part in the experiment, specifying their preferred date.
Wednesday 20th March or Thursday 21st March
6.30pm - 9.30pm
79 Beak Street, Soho, London, W1F 9SU.
Applicants must be over 25 years old.
Meet the team
Professor Charles Spence is head of the Crossmodal Research Laboratory based at the Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University. He says: “This multisensory event provides a really exciting opportunity to take the latest findings from the laboratory and test them in a more realistic (and fun) setting. Everything that I have read recently suggests that the different sensory inputs – the lighting, the sounds, the smells and feel – of these different rooms should really help to bring out different aspects of the whisky.”
Russ Jones, Condiment Junkie co-founder, added: “We’re designing three magical and cinematic worlds, in which people can indulge their senses at The Singleton Sensorium. We believe this blend of whisky, sensory architecture and science is a glimpse at how bars of the future will be designed, where every element of the environment enhances the drink and the experience.”
Join in at home
Finally if you can’t get to London, it will be possible for people who are not available to attend the event to participate in the experiment at home via www.condimentjunkie.co.uk/sensorium after 15th March 2013. See website for more details.
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