Campbell E J, Campbell D M, Roberts R S
Department of Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
BMJ. 1994;309(6970):1686-8. doi: 10.1136/bmj.309.6970.1686.
To assess ability to distinguish between first rate malt whisky and brandy and between different brands of each.
Crossover with two sessions of 12 blindfold tastings of two whiskies and two brandies before and after supper, repeated not more than seven days later.
Dundas, Ontario.
4 volunteers aged 50-68 years, all moderate drinkers of alcohol and members of a wine club.
Proportion of samples correctly identified (whisky v brandy) and, of those, the proportion of brands correctly identified.
Only one participant produced irrefutable statistical evidence (P < 0.0001) of being able to distinguish between whisky and brandy, correctly identifying 50/51 (98%) samples. Two participants achieved some success in identification (72%, P = 0.0031 and 65% P = 0.031). The fourth participant's responses reflected pure guesswork. Brandy was no easier to identify than whisky (P = 0.84). The participant who was best able to distinguish between whisky and brandy was also best able to identify correctly the brand of whisky (100%, P < 0.0001).
Despite the fact that not all participants completed the full number of tastings the results show that some participants could distinguish neither between malt whisky and brandy nor between different brands of whisky and brandy. However, the success of one participant shows that "it can be done" and that his whisky specific ability is acquired not innate.
评估区分一流麦芽威士忌和白兰地以及区分二者不同品牌的能力。
采用交叉试验设计，在晚餐前后进行两场共12次的蒙眼品酒，每次品尝两种威士忌和两种白兰地，不超过7天后重复进行。
安大略省邓达斯。
4名年龄在50 - 68岁之间的志愿者，均为适度饮酒者且是一个葡萄酒俱乐部的成员。
正确识别样品的比例（威士忌与白兰地），以及在这些识别中正确识别品牌的比例。
只有一名参与者产生了无可辩驳的统计证据（P < 0.0001），表明能够区分威士忌和白兰地，正确识别了50/51（98%）的样品。两名参与者在识别上取得了一定成功（分别为72%，P = 0.0031和65%，P = 0.031）。第四名参与者的回答纯粹是猜测。白兰地并不比威士忌更容易识别（P = 0.84）。最能区分威士忌和白兰地的参与者也最能正确识别威士忌的品牌（100%，P < 0.0001）。
尽管并非所有参与者都完成了全部品酒次数，但结果表明，一些参与者既无法区分麦芽威士忌和白兰地，也无法区分不同品牌的威士忌和白兰地。然而，一名参与者的成功表明“这是可以做到的”，而且他对威士忌的特殊辨别能力是后天习得而非天生的。
