daveflintstone Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Anyone know of a tasting/testing service one can submit samples of not-yet-released product to, for critique? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classick Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 The Beverage Testing Institute. http://www.tastings.com/ http://www.tastings.com/trade.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Forester Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 Yesssss, Me... Actually, I'm serious, I have done this for several distilleries and spirits / liqueur producers, as a spirits and libation writer and a spirits competition judge. Anyone know of a tasting/testing service one can submit samples of not-yet-released product to, for critique? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Forester Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 As far as I know, the Beverage Tasting Institute is not for submission of unreleased products or ones in prototyping, but for ones that are in production. I don't think they do consulting. The Beverage Testing Institute.http://www.tastings.com/ http://www.tastings.com/trade.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkaking Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 As far as I know, the Beverage Tasting Institute is not for submission of unreleased products or ones in prototyping, but for ones that are in production. I don't think they do consulting, please correct me if I am wrong. Does anyone else know for sure? THEY DO FOR A FEE $$$$$$$$. ASK GREY GOOSE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classick Posted November 17, 2008 Share Posted November 17, 2008 As far as I know, the Beverage Tasting Institute is not for submission of unreleased products or ones in prototyping, but for ones that are in production. I don't think they do consulting. Hmm, ill have to verify that with my father, but if i recall correctly, we have in the past sent samples to be reviewed as "unpublished reviews". I could be wrong though. I suppose it depends what expects as a result. I believe your correct when you say they dont offer consultation on the project, like.. what one should add or subtract to make the product "better", but if he just wanted a professional opinion of the taste, BTI should be sufficient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robertbirnecker Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Hi! We are working with one of the leading distillery consultants in Europe. Dr. Hagmann has helped us a great deal with our development. He also does lab tests and critiques and is the lead judge of a number of spirit competitions. Dr. Klaus Hagmann Dornierstraße 8 73003 Göppingen Germany Tel. +43 173-3430691 e-mail: dr.hagmann@t-online.de If you decide to contact him, please mention that Robert at Kothe Distilling Technologies referred you. All the best and good luck, Robert Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grehorst Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Playing devils advocate...It's never really occured to me to get an expert (or experts) point of view on a product before we make it. Thinking about this I wonder why would we want an "expert" to taste our product before it's developed? Our product development is such that we make what we like, then we may submit it to experts after the fact simply for validation (and marketing ). If you get an experts feedback and he suggests changes, will you change it? If so, is it really your product or the experts? One thing I've learned is that experts rarely agree on a product, one might rate your product a 95 another may say it's undrinkable, so which expert do you pick to help you? If your goal is to create a product that everyone will love you're probably better off with a panel of less experienced tasters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveflintstone Posted November 18, 2008 Author Share Posted November 18, 2008 thanks for the helpful replies. I wasn't aware the BTI offered "unpublished reviews"; I'll call 'em and find out. And brush up on my german to contact the good doctor. If you get an experts feedback and he suggests changes, will you change it? If I can. Though taste is certainly subjective, I value the opinion of someone with a trained palette. If so, is it really your product or the experts? Are you serious? Is it my product if I didn't design and build the still myself with my own smelted metal? If I relied on the collective experience of hundreds of years of distilling? I'm going to say yes, it is indeed my product. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grehorst Posted November 18, 2008 Share Posted November 18, 2008 Are you serious? Is it my product if I didn't design and build the still myself with my own smelted metal? If I relied on the collective experience of hundreds of years of distilling? I'm going to say yes, it is indeed my product. Dave, Yes, I'm serious and just offering another point of view and something to think about. I think of craft distilling as a creative expression. In any creative venture you have tools (as you mentioned the still, distillers experience, etc...) but you can come up with a different result from others who may be using those same tools. If you take your creative effort (your product) and modify it based on the experts opinions you're likely to get something very different (compromised?) from where you may have been going with it. Again, nothing wrong with this if that's what you want to do, but who do you want to please? Yourself or the experts? and who's in control of the creative process? You or the experts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delaware_phoenix Posted November 19, 2008 Share Posted November 19, 2008 Anyone know of a tasting/testing service one can submit samples of not-yet-released product to, for critique? Use your friends. Your real friends. The ones who'll tell you something sucks, or that there's some flavor note they don't like. It's easy to have friends who'll drink your free liquor and say "That's Great" to you, but to themselves say they won't go buy a bottle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spirits Review Posted November 21, 2008 Share Posted November 21, 2008 I'm willing to give something a try and give my honest opinion. Please check my website:http://www.spiritsreview to see what I am about,my experience and my palate/tastes. Although really the friends suggestion is as valid as any other. Spirits critics/judges are like movie critics - there is a wide variety of opinion on the same thing. I always tell people to find critics they most agree with on products they have already tried to decide if they want to believe their ratings/views on things they haven't tried. But on basic issues of quality of production throwing a party or gathering of honest/unabashed people might be just as useful - people will quickly tell you if product is sub par. One piece of advice I can offer if you want professionals to review something is to check out their past reviews. Some people like new and interesting interpretations of a spirit, and some will trash something without mercy if it falls outside of tradition.Some seem to have personal likes and dislikes of particular styles or flavorings. So some research is in order and then a decision has to be made as to the utility of using experts or consultants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott @ Twenty2Vodka Posted December 4, 2008 Share Posted December 4, 2008 Send me your product and two that are not your product in bottles marked A, B, C. I'll tell you what i think of each and why. I'm not a "card carrying expert", but I'll tell you the truth for the price of samples and the understanding that you will do the same for me down the road. Deal? -Scott Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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