Turning a vague impression into a SAT note
Two members of staff are writing menu notes for an aged rum, both tasting the same glass.
Note 1: 'Really smooth, tastes strong, nice and sweet, lots of caramel, good.'
Note 2: 'Clear, deep amber. Nose clean, medium intensity: vanilla, dried banana, coconut. Palate dry, medium alcohol, medium-bodied, medium intensity, medium finish.'
The bar manager needs one consistent house format for all 40 menu lines, written so a guest can choose without asking. A guest reads Note 1 and asks whether the rum has sugar added. The bottle's spec sheet says no sugar, no dosage.
1. Rebuild Note 1 into the WSET Level 1 SAT structure. Say what each of the original phrases is actually describing.
Read the worked answer
Structure the note under fixed headings so every line on the menu reads the same way: appearance, nose, palate, conclusions.
- 'Nice and sweet, lots of caramel' - these are aromas perceived on the nose, not a structural sweetness: caramel is an oak-derived aroma. Move to nose.
- 'Tastes strong' - this is alcohol level, a palate structural attribute. State it as a level (e.g. medium alcohol) rather than a sensation.
- 'Smooth' - not a SAT term. It typically bundles low alcohol, low intensity and low astringency. Replace with the specific observations: texture and alcohol level.
- 'Good' - a conclusion, not an observation. Keep conclusions separate and justify them.
Rewrite: Appearance: clear, deep amber. Nose: clean, medium intensity - caramel, vanilla, dried banana. Palate: dry, medium alcohol, medium body, medium intensity, medium finish. Conclusion: balanced, good length.
2. The guest asks: 'Does it have sugar added?' Answer using the note, the spec sheet and the SAT distinction.
Read the worked answer
No sugar is added - and it will still smell and taste sweet-ish.
The SAT separates two things that the word 'sweet' conflates:
- Sweetness (palate): a structural attribute, driven here by residual sugar. The spec sheet says no sugar, no dosage, and the palate in Note 2 reads dry. So structurally the rum is dry.
- Sweet aromas (nose and palate flavour): caramel, vanilla and dried banana come from the cask and from the raw material. They are perceived as 'sweet' without any sugar being present.
Tell the guest: dry on the palate, but it has caramel and vanilla aromas from oak ageing - that is what reads as sweet. Then fix the menu format so the confusion does not recur: never let a taster write 'sweet' without saying whether they mean palate sweetness or sweet aromas.
3. Write the three-sentence briefing you would give the team so the 40 menu lines stay consistent, and flag the one term you would ban.
Read the worked answer
Briefing:
- 'We use four headings every time - appearance, nose, palate, conclusion - so a guest can compare any two lines on the list.'
- 'Use the SAT words for intensity and level: low, medium, pronounced; dry or sweet on the palate; short, medium, long finish.'
- 'Aromas belong in the nose, structure belongs in the palate, and praise belongs in the conclusion - never mix them in the same phrase.'
Banned term: 'smooth'. It is unfalsifiable, it flatters rather than describes, and it hides the three things a guest actually needs to know - how strong it is, how intense it is, and what it smells of. Replace every use with the specific observations the taster was reaching for, so the menu describes the spirit rather than recommending it.