Descriptor words are retrieval tools, not molecule assignments

Supporting citations use verified paraphrases and PDF-sheet locators from the canonical local copies.

A sensory descriptor can help a taster notice, remember, and communicate an experience without proving that a named source material or one corresponding molecule is present.

Reviewed 2026-08-29 against the cited source pages during the complete text-and-visual corpus pass.

Descriptors may sometimes correspond to known aroma-active compounds, but the word alone does not prove presence, concentration, or causation.

Sensory terms organize perception and communication, while the aroma-wheel source explicitly presents hierarchy as an assessment aid.

Created from a deduplicated cross-source synthesis; retain the stated qualifications when drafting.