Sensory Exercise: Specific Anosmias

One of the most common refrains I hear when teaching off flavors is that someone thinks they must be anosmic to a flavor compound because they can’t detect it in their sample. Usually, anosmia is not the issue - the issue is the need for more flavor training. If you suspect you’re anosmic to a specific beer compound, such as diacetyl, the exercise below will help you determine whether you are.