Ardbeg’s space whisky tastes “noticeably different” from Earth-matured whisky

The Scottish whisky that spent three years ageing aboard the International Space Station has finally been tasted. The result, according to the Ardbeg distillery and aerospace company NanoRacks, is a whisky with a "noticeably different" flavour profile to one matured on earth.

Ardbeg, a distillery from the Isle of Islay in Scotland, and NanoRacks hoped to determine what effect microgravity conditions would have on terpene, a set of organic compounds found in whisky and other foods that give them a distinct flavour. By sending unmatured whisky into space along with charred oak wood shavings—which were only brought together inside a sealed vial once in space—they also hoped to reveal the effect of microgravity on the extraction of certain flavour compounds from the oak. A control sample was left back on Earth for comparison.

Three distinct analyses were conducted upon the whisky's return to Earth: chromatography for volatile congener analysis (substances other than alcohol produced during fermentation that give it its flavour); high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) for maturation-related congener analysis; and "organoleptic assessment," which is an incredibly fancy way of describing a simple taste test.