Take out the Guesswork Developing a Sensory Science
Programme for Gruppo Campari Case Study – Dr Francis Scanlan, Sabrina Tatti
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• I am not a Sensory Scientist…but
– My first experience came from my time in the tobacco industry at FJ Burrus Switzerland (BAT), work with quantitative descriptive analysis at SAM for cigarette product development
– Then several years in the flavour and fragrance industry at Quest International in The Netherlands (Givaudan) where I had the pleasure to meet Prof. Egon Koster
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• 2008 Gruppo Campari – No formalised sensory science capability
– Some individual sites performing sensory testing as part of their QC processes
– NPD time to market was very long due to endless iterative tasting sessions between marketeers and product developers. No common language, lack of knowledge on product attributes
– Sensory testing was based on perceived preference testing by oenologists, product developers, lab analysts, marketeers…lots of goodwill but highly subjective!
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• Autumn 2011 Start of Sensory Science
– The Steps involved :
• Convincing my boss!
• Then convincing HR!!
• 2009 March launch of Global Technical Function – New structure had an empty box called Sensory
• Budget approval to join Scotch Whisky Research Institute Edinburgh and build a Sensory Lab
• 2011 planned transfer of 1 FTE headcount – Sabrina Tatti
Experienced in liquid product development
but not yet in Sensory Science. Training at
SWRI and University of Milan
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Sensory Laboratory - Campari Technical Centre Milan
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– 2012 Creation of 1st Sensory Science Panel at our Campari
Technical Centre, Milan • Recruitment, Selection, Training to ISO Standards
• 1st wave : 49 candidates responded, 33 selected
• 2nd wave 2016, 70 candidates, 39 selected.
45 for discriminant tests ; 18 for descriptive tests
– 2013 Creation of 2nd Panel Lawrenceburg KY, USA 39 Panelists 13 for discriminant tests
– 2014 Creation of 3rd Panel Sorocaba, Brazil 27 Panelists for discriminant tests
– 2016 Creation of 4th Panel Capilla del Senor, Argentina
22 Panelists for discriminant tests
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• First Applications in Milan – Campari: Lexicon development, training, calibration, profiling
– Evaluation of Campari at different alcohol strengths 21%, 25%, 28,5% ABV samples (different filtration) to understand if the new industrial process could be used
Milan Panel / Americano Study
Americano Cocktail
Its original name was “Italiano” because it is prepared using only Italian ingredients from
Milan and Turin
The legend says that the name became “Americano” in honour of the boxing
champion Primo Carnera whose nickname was “Americano”
The recipe
1/3 of Campari Bitter
1/3 of Red Vermouth
1/3 of soda water
Ice
Garnish
Americano Cocktail
SampleA: Campari+Competitor Vermouth SampleB: Competitor Bitter + Competitor Vermouth 1°Step
Triangle tests Samples different
2°Step Panelists generated a list of
aromas and tastes descriptors by a consensus
profiling from which a shared vocabulary was produced
3°Step Profiling
The cocktails were prepared just before the tasting session for each
panelist by the “Campari Academy” bartenders, so the assessors were able to taste the products in the real conditions especially for the
serving temperature. Serving temperature was the main challenge for the assessors due to the presence of ice which has an
anesthetizing effect
The results show the capabilities of the panel in defining the differences between the two
products in the cocktail in presence of other ingredients
(Red Vermouth, Soda Water and Ice)
15 Panelists 8 sessions
Americano Cocktail Study
• 2013 on a Roll :
– Bitter’s profiling: Campari vs. main competitor
– Aperol: Lexicon development, training, calibration, profiling
– Evaluation of 3 different prototypes of American Honey for Canale plant
– Campari Soda Evaluation for our Italian production plant.
– Internal consumer test on flavored wines.
– Averna Amari study on different prototypes.
– RTD study: ready to drink products from all over the world evaluated by consensus profiling and compared to their own mother brand (Competitor’s and Our brands)
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• 43 sessions (training, real evaluations) to profile Campari and Aperol
• 16 days to familiarize with reference sample
• More than 50 days dedicated to free tastings sessions
• 4 days for American Honey discriminant test (triangle test) with 79 panelists (junior and senior)
• 1 day (2weeks for the preparation) consumer test with non-Italian colleagues to evaluate the 4 flavoured wines
• 9 Ranking tests (rank Campari and hydroalcoholic solutions from the less to the most alcoholic)
• 1 Duo-trio test
• 26 Triangle Tests (15 simple TT, 6 back to back and 5 triple TT)
• 2 meetings with all the panelists to present reference samples
• 4 meetings with all the panelists for fine calibration on scales
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Milan Panel / 2013 numbers
>155days
• Bourbon Characteristic testing (i.e. Lexicon development, calibration, profiling, training, etc)
• Tequila Characteristic testing (i.e. Lexicon development, calibration, profiling, training, etc)
• Application to Wild Turkey 6 + 8yo racked vs. palletised
Lawrenceburg KY, USA Panel
• The aim was to determine the sensory differences in aged bourbons based on their position and storage system in the warehouse during maturation. Sensory (discriminant tests), chemical-analytical (GC-MS, LC-MS, GC) and electronic nose analyses were performed to compare the corresponding racked and palletized Bourbon samples. Joint study: USA and Italian Panels, SWRI Panel and Alpha-Mos
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Figure 1. Racked Warehouse detail
Figure 2. Palletized Warehouse
6PB
6PM
6PT
6RB
6RM
6RT
8PB
8PM
8PT
8RB
8RM
8RT
-8
-6
-4
-2
0
2
4
6
8
-8 -6 -4 -2 0 2 4 6 8X-expl: 39%, 35%; Y-expl: 56%, 27%
Scores-plot
• The overall results suggest that the location of casks in the warehouse has a great influence on the flavour profile of 8yo whiskies. Therefore, to attain greater consistency in bourbon maturation, casks should be stored using the palletized system which also has the additional benefits lower cost, ease of handling and improving occupational safety.
1. Helsinki Finland 1992
2. Davis USA 1995
3. Alesund Norway 1998
4. Dijon France 2001
5. Boston USA 2003
6. Harrogate UK 2005
7. Minneapolis USA 2007
8. Florence Italy 2009
9. Toronto Canada 2011
10. Rio de Janeiro 2013
Meet people Exchange of ideas
TDS Temporal dominance of sensations Eye-tracking
“people don’t always tell the
truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth”
Nearly 1000 attenders from 59 countries
Pangborn 2015
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Other Activities:
Flavour Technical Liaison Group : Sensory members (Diageo, Bacardi , Suntory..etc.) Technicians, Master Blenders, Panel Leaders..)
Italian Taste Project http://www.it-taste.it/
Our partners & memberships in Sensory:
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• Temporal Dominance of Sensations
– Collaboration with Prof. Monteleone,
– University of Florence
– PhD student
– Study on Aperol and its copy cats
– 18 panelists, average age 25, 15ml sample, 8sec holding then pop-up on monitor to swallow…
– What do we taste during 90seconds?
APEROL SPRITZ