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Adding Analytical Metrics to the Production and Aging of Whiskey Using a Protein Sensor Assay

Timothy Hamerly and Brian Bothner

We have developed a protein-based sensor assay (PSA) that is both highly selective and broadly applicable for differentiating complex biological samples from one another. The PSA involves incubating samples with serum albumin protein, followed by analysis of bound molecules by mass spectrometry. Our previous work has shown that the assay greatly reduces the number of detected features while simultaneously improving the classification of complex biological samples. In this work, this protein based assay was applied to a set of whiskey samples produced by a craft distillery. The results of this analysis showed that whiskey samples aged for different lengths of time could be separated using unsupervised statistical analyses and a visible trajectory of the aging process was apparent. In a separate experiment designed to determine if subtle changes made during processing could be detected, partially aged whiskey was transfer to new barrels and subsequently tested. In this case, there were only subtle differences in taste between the samples, yet they were easily differentiated by the PSA. This analytical method shows great promise as a tool that can provide objective measures to food and beverage production which could improve quality and reduce cost.