The sensory importance of a whiskey compound cannot be inferred from concentration alone; it must be evaluated in a relevant matrix and interaction context using sensory-directed methods such as thresholds, GC-olfactometry or AEDA, recombination, and omission tests.
Fresh audit now includes both Bourbon PDF540–541 and general sensory PDF941–942. Wine mixture experiments and Bourbon reconstruction support method-specific interpretation; Scotch sulfur correlations do not establish causation. Underlying primary studies and other retained source relations are not newly reviewed.
The appropriate method depends on the research question. OAV, GC-O, AEDA, recombination, and omission each have limitations and should be interpreted together rather than treated as interchangeable proof.
Chromatographic abundance and single-compound odor activity values omit matrix effects, sub-threshold synergy, masking, and interactions among odorants. Sensory-directed analysis and reconstruction provide stronger evidence of perceptual contribution.
Handbook chapters3.3 and4.7 freshly read, including linked EXT558/559. Preserve Moderate/In Review because support is secondary and sample/matrix-specific. SRC-109 fresh review now covers1185/1185 sheets and443 detail inspections, including all appendices, glossary and index. Claim maturity and sample-specific limits are unchanged; completion is coverage evidence, not experimental replication.