Tasting sampler

Abstract

The invention relates to tasting samplers for alcoholic beverages, such as cognac or brandy. A tasting sampler (1) for an alcoholic beverage (2) includes a vessel and a plug (5) made of glass, and is characterized in that the vessel comprises a rounded body (3) and a base (4), the plug (5) contains a sealing element (6) made of an inert material, and the internal volume of the body (3) holds from 40 to 70 grams of alcoholic beverage (2). The technical result is to ensure a sufficiently rapid, yet relatively precise and uniform heating of the beverage placed into the tasting sampler using only the heat from the user's hands, thereby providing the most complete revealing of the beverage's organoleptic properties during its tasting.

Description

[0001] TASTING SAMPLER

[0002] TECHNIAL FIELD

[0003] The invention relates to tasting samplers for alcoholic beverages, in particular, strong alcoholic beverages such as cognac or brandy.

[0004] BACKGROUND

[0005] The prior art knows small-volume vessels up to 200 ml designed for alcoholic beverages, such as wine. For example, US9156587 discloses a wine vessel having a volume of 187 ml, made of plastic or glass and comprising a rounded body and a lid formed as a film intended to retain a beverage within the body.

[0006] Such vessels and those of a similar type are designed to store alcoholic beverages in a volume smaller than that of a typical bottle, which is usually 750 ml. Substantially, they are just the same bottles, but having a smaller volume. To fully appreciate the taste and evaluate the organoleptic properties of a beverage, the vessel shall first be placed in an environment with appropriate temperature conditions, which is not always possible. In addition, such a vessel is entirely unsuitable just for tasting a beverage, i.e. for consuming a small amount in a few small sips, since after opening such a vessel and tasting the beverage, most of the beverage would have to be poured out.

[0007] US6644846 discloses a wine tasting sampler with a plastic body of a rather complex design and a volume ranging from 2 to 16 ounces, i.e. approximately from 60 to 470 ml. The plastic body allows the contents of the sampler to be slightly heated, provided that the volume of the beverage contained therein is close to the lower limit of the specified range. However, the material of the body directly and unfavorably affects the organoleptic properties of the beverage, and the truncated cone shape of the known sampler's body does not make it possible to heat the beverage in a way that fully reveals its aroma and taste.

[0008] Apart from the above, the aforementioned similar solutions known in the art, as well as other vessels of similar purposes, are designed for alcoholic beverages of low or medium strength, and are not suitable for use with strong beverages like cognac or brandy, because they require more delicate heating of the vessel containing a beverage therein. It's also desirable that heating up to the right temperature doesn't require special equipment or a long time. Thus, creating a tasting sampler that could be successfully used for strong alcoholic beverages, such as cognac or brandy, requiring to be heated up to a certain temperature to fully reveal their taste qualities without using any additional means, is a technical problem to be solved. The problem is complicated by the fact that the organoleptic properties of such beverages are most fully revealed within a fairly narrow temperature range that is cumulatively affected by the shape of a sampler, its material, the sampler's volume, and other characteristics, the selection of which is a complex and non-trivial task.

[0009] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The technical problem faced by the authors of the present invention was to develop a new tasting sampler for alcoholic beverages, particularly strong alcoholic beverages such as cognac or brandy, eliminating the drawbacks of similar solutions known in the art.

[0011] The technical result achieved by this invention is to provide sufficiently rapid, yet relatively precise and uniform heating of a beverage placed in the tasting sampler, using only the heat from the user's hands, thereby providing the most complete revealing of the beverage's organoleptic properties during its tasting.

[0012] Further, 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 accompanying drawings.

[0013] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. 1 schematically shows the claimed tasting sampler with a beverage therein.

[0015] FIG. 2 schematically shows the claimed tasting sampler with a sealing element.

[0016] List of reference numbers:

[0017] 1 - tasting sampler;

[0018] 2 - beverage;

[0019] 3 - body;

[0020] 4 - base;

[0021] 5 - plug;

[0022] 6 - sealing element. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] The problem set forth is solved, and the claimed technical result is achieved due to the fact that the claimed tasting sampler (1) for an alcoholic beverage (2), such as cognac or brandy, comprises a vessel consisting of a body (3) of a substantially rounded shape or close thereto, a base (4) adjoining the body, and a plug (5).

[0024] The plug (5) is fitted onto the neck of the body (3), and is equipped with a sealing element (6) to prevent a beverage (2) from spilling, reduce heat exchange with the environment, and prevent air from entering the body (3), wherein said sealing element is made of an inert material, for example, a fluorine-containing polymer, which does not affect the organoleptic properties of the beverage (2) at temperatures typical for storing and transporting the tasting sampler (1) with the beverage (2) therein, or when heating the beverage (2) up to the required tasting temperature.

[0025] When using the tasting sampler (1), its body (3) is grasped for some time by the user's hand or hands, thereby heating the beverage (2) contained in the vessel up to the required temperature.

[0026] The base (4) is preferably made more massive compared with the body (3), so that only the beverage (2) filling the volume of the body (3) grasped by the user's hand or hands is mostly subject to heating. The vessel is thermally insulated from the environment by the base (4) from below, and by the plug (5) with the sealing element (6) from the top.

[0027] The most preferred material for making the vessel and the plug (5) is glass. However, one skilled in the art would appreciate that other materials could be chosen, provided that they meet certain conditions, such as the required thermal conductivity, inertness in relation to the beverage (2), manufacturability when producing the tasting sampler (1), and several others.

[0028] The shape of the body (3) is rounded, so that it can be almost entirely grasped by the user's hand or hands, ensuring uniform yet rapid heat transfer to the beverage (2). To that end, it's also desirable, although not necessary, for the lower part of the body (3) adjoining the base (4) to be spherical.

[0029] The wall thickness of the body (3) should be small to ensure inter alia rapid and uniform heat transfer to the beverage (2). Specifically, it is preferable for the wall thickness of the body (3) to range from 1.3 to 1.6 mm, most preferably from 1.4 to 1.5 mm.

[0030] In addition to the above, the internal volume of the body (3) is also important, as it determines the volume of a beverage (2) to be tasted. According to the claimed technical solution, the internal volume of the body (3) corresponds to its filling with a beverage a beverage (2) weighing from 40 to 70g to ensure the most optimal heating of the beverage (2), such as cognac or brandy, by the user's hands in terms of the heating rate and uniformity, thereby maximally revealing the organoleptic properties of such a beverage. In a preferred embodiment, the specified internal volume of the body (3) corresponds to its filling with a beverage a beverage (2) weighing from 45 to 65g, most preferably from 50 to 60g.

[0031] It should be noted that in this case the internal volume of the body (3) is measured in grams, corresponding to the volume that would be occupied by a beverage (specifically, cognac or brandy) having the same mass.

[0032] The author has conducted numerous tests with various tasting samplers (1), characterized by different materials for the body (3), base (4), and plug (5); by different shapes of the body (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 a beverage (2), with an approximate volume corresponding to a mass from 15 to 40 grams.

[0033] The tests primarily assessed the perception of the drink based on its taste properties, aroma, aftertaste, and flavor.

[0034] First and foremost, the tests showed that their results were substantially independent of the brand of cognac or brandy.

[0035] It has been found that the most optimal shape for the body (3) is a rounded one or close to a spherical one. Specifically, the best results were achieved when the shape of the lower part (approximately half) of the body (3) adjoining the base (4) was close to a spherical one, i.e. spheroidal. Such shapes ensure the most uniform and rapid heating of the beverage (2), which is important for a more complete revealing of its organoleptic properties.

[0036] Furthermore, the heating rate and uniformity, as well as the saturation of the beverage's vapors with oxygen molecules from the air during shaking and simultaneous heating by the user's hands, are determined by the internal volume of the body (3). The most optimal volume for the body (3) corresponds to its filling with a beverage (2) weighing from 50 to 60 grams, though good results were also achieved within the range from 40 to 70 grams. At smaller internal volumes of the body (3), heating occurs noticeably faster, leading to uneven heating and even overheating of the beverage (2); with larger volumes, heating is slower and, more critically, less uniform throughout the beverage (2) volume.

[0037] On the one hand, using the sealing element (6) contributes to ensuring tightness of the internal volume of the body (3), i.e. preventing volatile compounds to escape from the beverage (2) being heated until the tasting sampler (1) is opened, and enabling these compounds to mix with a specific amount of air to fully reveal the beverage's organoleptic properties at the right moment. On the other hand, air from outside does not penetrate into the vessel, which also has a positive effect on the beverage's organoleptic properties.

[0038] Finally, using glass as the material for manufacturing the body (3), base (4), and plug (5) also affects the preservation and provision of true organoleptic properties of the beverage (2). Moreover, it has been found that the aforementioned factors mutually enhance their impact when the most optimal values of the same are chosen jointly; in other words, a synergistic effect takes place. 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 beverages.

[0039] Thus, the claimed tasting sampler (1) during its use preserves and ensures most fully and adequately the organoleptic properties of strong alcoholic beverages, such as cognac or brandy, requiring to be heated up to a certain temperature to fully reveal their taste qualities without using any additional means.

Claims

received by the International Bureau on 29 December 2025 (29.12.2025)1. A tasting sampler (1) for an alcoholic beverage (2), such as cognac or brandy, comprising a vessel and a plug (5) made of glass, and characterized in that the vessel comprises a rounded body (3) and a base (4), the plug (5) comprises a sealing element (6) made of an inert material, and an internal volume of the body (3) corresponds to filling thereof with the alcoholic beverage (2) weighing from 40 to 70 grams, wherein a wall thickness of the body (3) is from 1.3 to 1.6 mm.

2. The tasting sampler (1) of claim 1, characterized in that the wall thickness of the body (3) is from 1.4 to 1.5 mm.

3. The tasting sampler (1) of claim 1, characterized in that the sealing element (6) is made of a fluorine-containing polymer.

4. The tasting sampler (1) of claim 1, characterized in that the internal volume of the body (3) corresponds to filling thereof with the alcoholic beverage (2) weighing from 45 to 65 grams, more preferably from 50 to 60 grams.

5. The tasting sampler (1) of claim 1, characterized in that a lower half of the body (3) adjoining the base (4) has a spherical shape.

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