BE1032689A1 - TASTING SAMPLER - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention relates to tasting samplers for alcoholic beverages, such as cognac or brandy. A tasting sampler (1) for an alcoholic beverage (2) comprises a glass container and a stopper (5) and is characterized in that the container comprises a rounded body (3) and a base (4), in that the stopper (5) contains a sealing element (6) made of an inert material, and in that the internal volume of the body (3) holds between 40 and 70 grams of the alcoholic beverage (2). The technical result is to ensure sufficiently rapid, yet relatively precise and uniform, heating of the beverage placed in the tasting sampler, using only the heat of the user's hands, thus allowing the organoleptic properties of the beverage to be revealed as fully as possible during tasting.

Description

TASTING SAMPLER

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to tasting samplers for alcoholic beverages, in particular strong alcoholic beverages such as cognac or brandy.

BACKGROUND

According to the prior art, small-volume containers up to 200 ml, designed for alcoholic beverages such as wine, are known. For example, US patent 9156587 discloses a wine container with a volume of 187 ml, made of plastic or glass, comprising a rounded body and a lid formed like a film intended to retain a beverage inside the body.

These containers and similar ones are designed to store alcoholic beverages in a smaller volume than a standard bottle, which is typically 750 ml. They are essentially the same bottles, but with a smaller capacity. To fully appreciate the taste and evaluate the organoleptic properties of a beverage, the container must first be placed in an environment with appropriate temperature conditions, which is not always possible. Furthermore, such a container is completely unsuitable for simply tasting a beverage—that is, consuming a small amount in a few sips—because after opening such a container and tasting the beverage, most of it would have to be discarded.

US patent 6644846 discloses a wine tasting sampler with a fairly complex plastic body and a capacity ranging from 2 to 16 ounces, or approximately 60 to 470 ml. The plastic body allows the contents of the sampler to be slightly warmed, provided the volume of the beverage inside is close to the lower end of the specified range. However, the body material directly and adversely affects the organoleptic properties of the beverage, and the truncated cone shape of the known sampler body does not allow the beverage to be warmed in a way that fully reveals its aroma and taste.

Besides the containers described above, similar solutions known according to the prior art, as well as other containers for similar use, are designed for alcoholic beverages with low or medium alcohol content and are not suitable for use with strong drinks such as cognac or brandy, as these require more careful heating of the container holding the beverage. It is also desirable that heating to the correct temperature should not require special equipment or a significant amount of time.

Thus, creating a tasting sampler that can be successfully used for strong alcoholic beverages, such as cognac or brandy, which must be warmed to a specific temperature to fully reveal their flavors without additional means, presents a technical challenge. The problem is complicated by the fact that the organoleptic properties of such beverages are best revealed within a fairly narrow temperature range, which is cumulatively influenced by the sampler's shape, material, volume, and other characteristics, making its selection a complex and non-trivial task.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The technical problem faced by the authors of the present invention was to develop a new tasting sampler for alcoholic beverages, in particular strong alcoholic beverages such as cognac or brandy, by eliminating the disadvantages of similar solutions known according to the prior art.

The technical result obtained by this invention consists of providing a sufficiently rapid, but relatively precise and uniform, heating of a beverage placed in the tasting sampler, using only the heat of the user's hands, which allows the organoleptic properties of the beverage to be revealed as fully as possible during its tasting.

In addition, the claimed sampler and all possible embodiments of the invention, which are not intended to be limiting, are explained in more detail with reference to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Figure 1 schematically shows the claimed tasting sampler with a beverage inside.

Figure 2 schematically shows the claimed tasting sampler with a sealing element.

List of reference numbers: 1 — tasting sampler; 2 — beverage; 3 — body; 4 — base;

— cap; 6 — sealing element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 5

The problem posed is solved, and the claimed technical result is obtained thanks to the fact that the tasting sampler (1) claimed for an alcoholic beverage (2), such as cognac or brandy, comprises a container consisting of a body (3) of substantially rounded shape or close to it, a base (4) adjacent to the body and a stopper (5).

The stopper (5) is fixed to the neck of the body (3) and is equipped with a sealing element (6) to prevent a beverage (2) from spilling, reduce any heat exchange with the environment and prevent air from entering the body (3), said sealing element being made of an inert material, for example a polymer containing fluorine, which does not affect the organoleptic properties of the beverage (2) at normal storage and transport temperatures of the tasting sampler (1) containing the beverage (2) or when heating the beverage (2) to the required tasting temperature.

When using the tasting sampler (1), its body (3) is held for a certain time by the user's hand or hands, which allows the beverage (2) contained in the container to be heated to the required temperature.

The base (4) is preferably made to be more massive than the body (3), so that only the beverage (2) filling the volume of the body (3) held by the user's hand(s) is primarily subjected to heating. The container is thermally insulated from the environment by the base (4) from below and by the cap (5) with the sealing element (6) from above.

The most suitable material for the manufacture of the container and the stopper (5) is glass.

However, a person skilled in the art will understand that other materials could be chosen, provided they meet certain conditions, such as the required thermal conductivity, inertia with respect to the beverage (2), ease of manufacture during the production of the tasting sampler (1), and several others.

The body (3) is rounded so that it can be held almost entirely by the user's hand(s), ensuring a uniform but rapid transfer of heat to the beverage (2). To this end, it is also desirable, though not necessary, that the lower part of the body (3) adjacent to the base (4) be spherical.

The wall thickness of the body (3) must be low to ensure, among other things, rapid and uniform heat transfer to the beverage (2). More specifically, it is preferable for the wall thickness of the body (3) to be between 1.3 and 1.6 mm, or even better, between 1.4 and 1.5 mm.

In addition to all the above, the internal volume of the body (3) is also important, as it determines the volume of a beverage (2) to be enjoyed. According to the claimed technical solution, the internal volume of the body (3) corresponds to its filling with a beverage (2) weighing between 40 and 70 g in order to ensure the most optimal heating of the beverage (2), such as cognac or brandy, by the user's hands in terms of speed and uniformity of heating, so as to reveal the organoleptic properties of such a beverage to the maximum. In a preferred embodiment, the specified internal volume of the body (3) corresponds to its filling with a beverage (2) weighing between 45 and 65 g, or even better, between 50 and 60 g.

It should be noted that in this case, the internal volume of the body (3) is measured in grams and corresponds to the volume that would be occupied by a drink (in particular cognac or brandy) having the same mass.

The author conducted numerous tests with various tasting samplers (1), characterized by different materials for the body (3), base (4), and stopper (5); by different body shapes (3); by different values for the internal volume and wall thickness of the body (3); and by the presence or absence of a sealing element (6). In addition, different brands of cognac and brandy were used as the beverage (2), with an approximate volume corresponding to a mass between 15 and 40 grams.

The tests primarily assessed the perception of the drink based on its taste properties, aroma, aftertaste, and flavor.

First and foremost, the tests showed that their results were largely independent of the brand of cognac or brandy.

It was found that the most optimal shape for the body (3) is rounded or close to spherical. More specifically, the best results were obtained when the shape of the lower part (approximately half) of the body (3) adjacent to the base (4) was close to spherical, i.e., spheroidal. Such shapes ensure the most uniform and rapid heating of the beverage (2), which is important for more fully revealing its organoleptic properties.

Furthermore, the speed and uniformity of heating, as well as the saturation of the beverage vapors with oxygen molecules from the air during agitation and simultaneous heating by the user's hands, are determined by the internal volume of the container (3). The most optimal volume of the container (3) corresponds to its filling with a beverage (2) weighing between 50 and 60 grams, although good results have also been obtained in the 40-70 gram range. When the internal volumes of the container (3) are smaller, heating is significantly faster, resulting in uneven or even excessive heating of the beverage (2); when the volumes are larger, heating is slower and, most importantly, less uniform throughout the entire volume of the beverage (2).

On the one hand, the use of the sealing element (6) helps to ensure the airtightness of the internal volume of the body (3), that is, to prevent volatile compounds from escaping from the beverage (2) during heating until the tasting sampler (1) is opened, and to allow these compounds to mix with a specific amount of air in order to fully reveal the organoleptic properties of the beverage at the appropriate time. On the other hand, outside air does not enter the container, which also has a positive effect on the organoleptic properties of the beverage.

Finally, the use of glass as a material for the manufacture of the body (3), the base (4) and the stopper (5) also influences the preservation and enhancement of the true organoleptic properties of the drink (2).

Furthermore, it was observed that the aforementioned factors mutually reinforce their impact when their most optimal values are chosen together; in other words, a synergistic effect occurs. Apparently, this is due to the composition of a beverage (2), such as cognac or brandy, and the results would have been different for other alcoholic drinks.

Thus, during its use, the claimed tasting sampler (1) fully and adequately preserves and guarantees, at best, the organoleptic properties of strong alcoholic beverages, such as cognac or brandy, which must be warmed to a certain temperature to fully reveal their taste qualities without using additional means.

Claims (5)

DEMANDS 1. Tasting sampler (1) for alcoholic beverage (2), such as cognac or brandy, comprising a container and a stopper (5) made of glass, and characterized in that the container comprises a rounded body (3) and a base (4), in that the stopper (5) contains a sealing element (6) made of an inert material, and in that the internal volume of the body (3) corresponds to its filling with an alcoholic beverage (2) weighing between 40 and 70 grams. 2. Tasting sampler according to claim 1, characterized in that the wall thickness of the body (3) is between 1.3 and 1.6 mm, more preferably between 1.4 and 1.5 mm. 3. Tasting sampler according to claim 1, characterized in that the sealing element (6) is made of a polymer containing fluorine. 4. Tasting sampler according to claim 1, characterized in that the internal volume of the body (3) corresponds to its filling with an alcoholic beverage (2) weighing between 45 and 65 grams, or even better between 50 and 60 grams. 5. Tasting sampler according to claim 1, characterized in that the lower half of the body (3) adjacent to the base (4) has a spherical shape.