supertaster is a term originated by sensory analysts Linda Bartoshuk and Katherine Fast to describe individuals with greater sensitivity to certain specific flavors, especially bitterness; this will of course affect the way they taste and appreciate not only foods but also spirits and cocktails. Originally, this sensitivity was attributed to a greater density of sensory fungiform papillae on their tongues. Since Bartoshuk introduced the term in 2005, more has been learned about the physiological differences that exist in the human mouth, but also in other parts of the body where physiochemical “flavor” receptors are found, such as the throat, stomach, and even, some scientists believe, the intestinal tract.
Those with the most numerous fungiform papillae tend to exhibit the most extreme responses to most tastes; studies have shown that extreme supertasters will avoid even slightly bitter vegetables, leading to a disproportionate increase in colon polyps in that population. Many also avoid spirits in general; others gravitate away from the ones rich in tannins (e.g., bourbon, aged rum) and mixed drinks that are high in acidity. Less extreme supertasters can, however, prove to be excellent judges of complex spirits.
See tasting spirits.
Beauchamp, Gary, and Linda Bartoshuk. Tasting and Smelling: Handbook of Perception and Cognition, 2nd ed. Cambridge: Academic Press, 1997.
Wolfe, Jeremy, Keith Kluender, and Dennis Levi. Sensation and Perception, 3rd ed. Sunderland, MA: Sinauer Associates, 2012.
By: Doug Frost