[M_Grey]

If this had been a conclusion reached as a result of careful analysis, then I'd be interested. Relying on people to taste-test a difference is just a broadly pointless exercise I think, and doesn't really prove the conclusion the headline is selling.

[RobertoG]

"If this had been a conclusion reached as a result of careful analysis, then I'd be interested"

Ironically, we could say the same about your post ;-)

The following is only a link away:

"[..] This way, the results show that higher powers of ultrasound, of nearly 40 W/L, in addition with the movement of the spirit, improve the extraction of phenolic compounds in a 33.94%, after seven days of ageing. Then, applying Youden and Steiner’s experimental design, eight experiments of ageing were performed, and the samples obtained by this new method were analysed to obtain information related to their physicochemical and oenological characterisation in order to determine the experimental conditions that produce the best ageing results.[..]"

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1350417716...

[mikeash]

Since good taste is the goal, how else would you evaluate the results? As long as the taste testing was carried out properly (i.e. blinded, randomized), it's fine.

[shkkmo]

If it's a blind taste-test, it is arguably the only measure that matters.

[Neliquat]

But what ancient lineage and obscure origin stories will you impress your friends and yourself with? The marketing is half the product with liquor, the only thing sold for human consumption not requiring an ingredient label.

[tptacek]

Here's the actual journal article:

http://ac.els-cdn.com/S1350417716304187/1-s2.0-S135041771630...

There's an ISO standard for conducting these kinds of tests, and they apparently followed it. It's easy to think of perceptual tests that mitigate your concerns: for instance, you can triangle test.