Whisky Magazine reported on August 18 that Glendronach joined forces with a composer named Rob Lewis to create a piece that pairs with its 12-year-old scotch whisky. Scientists refer to this process as “sonic seasoning,” and the outlet reports that sonic seasoning is the idea that music can potentially enhance certain flavors within a tasting experience.
The Highland Scotch whisky house known for creating luscious sherry bombs teamed up with Emmy-nominated composer Rob Lewis. Lewis wrote a piece called “Valley of the Brambles,” and the name is an English translation of the distillery’s Gaelic name. The composition incorporates sounds taken from the actual distillery during a trip Lewis made to Glendronach’s campus.
“I wanted to create a piece that not only connects with our sense of hearing, but also evokes a feeling of touch,” Lewis expressed. “The crunch of the gravel in the dunnage warehouse, the sensation of running your hand across the casks. Every sound captured in the distillery was manipulated and woven into the piece. These sounds form a backbone of the percussion, all derived from the distillery itself, and appear as subtle textures and pitched elements throughout.”
The outlet reported that the Valley of the Brambles amplifies the experience of enjoying a glass of its 12-year-old single malt. The claims, according to Quartz, are backed up by science. Professor Charles Spence at Oxford University performed a 2010 study that found certain pitches of sound can amplify certain flavors, like sweet, bitter, sour, or salty.
For the study, the team played some tracks of music that they hypothesized sounded “sweet” or “bitter,” while subjects ate toffee. Music that had sweeter notes apparently made the toffee taste sweeter, and tracks that were a bit more bitter made the toffee taste — well, more bitter, according to subjects.
As for The Glendronach’s sonic pairing, Master Blender Dr. Rachel Barrie refers to it as a “symphony of flavor.”
“I am thrilled that Rob has been able to capture all the facets of the Glendronach…” Barrie expressed according to Whisky Magazine. “The track communicates that sense of place, the casks and inherent musicality of our liquid, making it the perfect soundtrack to enjoy a dram.”
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