Our Blind Taste Test

Pick a Product Wine blind taste tests are the most common, but you can taste test anything. See our blind taste test ideas in the next section for inspiration. Narrow it Down to One Variable That variable may be price, varietal, type, or brand. Whatever you decide, try to limit the number of products to seven. Invite The most fun blind taste tests we?ve hosted had a diverse group of tasters: Expertise: from true connoisseurs to indiscriminate novices. Background: People from different countries and with different tastes and habits. Emphasize to all invitees the extra importance of arriving on time because the blind taste test can?t start until everyone has arrived. Prepare Tidy up your home if you're the one hosting the blind taste test, prep the snacks and set the table.

Here's a quick checklist: Something to cover the products being taste-tested. Glasses, cups, or plates for everyone. A pen and paper for each taster. Water for mouth rinsing and hydrating. A pre-prepared computer spreadsheet for consolidating the results and declaring a winner (if you?re a big nerd like Chris). Prep everything you're going to be taste-testing, aside from what your guests will be bringing. Welcome Welcome your guests as they wait for the others to arrive by preparing a welcome drink (non-alcoholic if you?re tasting booze) and a snack. Disguise Cover up each product?or even better put them all in identical serving containers?and number them. Only one person should do the disguising, generally the blind taste test host. (Optional) Throw in a Twist Spice up your blind taste test with a curveball. Include two of the exact same product to test how consistent people?s tastes are. Or throw in something completely different, like a white wine amongst red wines (if blindfolded), or a veggie burger amongst the beef. Whatever your twist, don?t tell the taste testers.

Explain Get everyone seated and ready and explain how you will conduct the blind taste test: how many products they will taste, how they are expected to score each product, and tips on what to write in the comments (see below), and? Most importantly, tell them the #1 rule of conducting blind taste tests: No talking about the products while tasting. You don?t want one?s opinions and reactions to affect everyone else?s. Taste Tip: Do side-by-side comparisons of two products at a time to more easily identify the differences between the products and rank them. Comment The tasters should write as much as they can about each product. Longer, more descriptive comments make it easier for tasters to remember and compare the products and make it more fun to share and discuss results afterward. Rank or Rate Each taster scores or ranks the products. (See F.A.Q. for why we recommend ranking over scoring.) The easiest way we?ve found to rank is group the products by bucket (good, ok, and bad) in your first round of tasting, then do a second round of tasting (and third, and fourth?) to rank the products within those buckets Discuss To avoid a chaotic discussion, it's best if the host moderates.

Starting from product number one, go around the table asking each taster what their comments were and how they rated or ranked it. Move on to product number two, and so on. (Optional) Consolidate and Crown Consider consolidating everyone?s ratings or rankings into a computer spreadsheet to come up with an overall blind taste test winner and loser.