From Jack Daniel’s to Talisker: AI Decodes Whisky Aromas with Precision

Researchers at Germany's Fraunhofer Institute have made strides in using AI to analyze whisky aromas, studying the molecular composition of 16 US and Scottish whiskies.

The AI identified key aroma notes and origins of whiskies including Jack Daniel's, Maker's Mark, Laphroaig, and Talisker. often surpassing human expert panels in precision

Published in Communications Chemistry, the study trained algorithms on chemical compositions and aroma profiles provided by an 11-member expert panel.

The AI predicted the top five aroma notes and distinguished US from Scottish whiskies with over 90% accuracy. However, this accuracy may drop with untrained samples.

Beyond whisky, the technology is touted to detect counterfeit products and manage odours in recycled plastics.