In conditions precisely controlled for detecting the purity of grain-neutral spirit, a state-of-the-art beverage sensory laboratory complements a world-class distillery built in regional New South Wales by Australian family-owned agribusiness Manildra Group.
The latest addition to the fully-integrated Shoalhaven Starches manufacturing facility, the sensory room has been designed to provide reliable and independent odour sampling and testing services to a range of craft and big brand beverage clients.
Conducting sensory analysis using the scientific and industry-standard methods of discriminative, descriptive, and affective or hedonic (consumer) testing, Manildra Group chemists work closely with industry and academic partners to perform studies and collect data for statistical analysis supporting domestic production of premium grain-neutral spirits.
Manildra Group’s distillery is the largest facility of its kind in South East Asia, the state-of-the-art, seven-column distillery facilitates full-scale production of beverage-grade, grain neutral spirits for a range of craft and big brand beverages – including vodka, gin, liqueurs and ready-to-drink packaged alcohol.
Beverage Ethanol Laboratory Manager, Tim Allen said the value of the sensory laboratory was to ensure the highest-quality product prior to distribution.
Featuring the latest technology, the four individual panellist booths, a focus group-panel training room, and an isolated and controlled sample preparation laboratory are fitted with multi-option booth LED lighting, sensory data iPad collection workstations and finely-tuned air and water purification systems.
With odour measurement demanding the highest standards of environmental conditions, a baseline for sensory assessment panellists, temperature and humidity are optimised for panellists’ comfort while the air purification system rapidly removes residual odours.
To further prevent unwanted air from entering into the testing environment, the air purifier monitors the quality of the air, purifying it to ensure a neutral sensory environment.
Additionally, the precision-controlled, multi-option booth LEDs enable samples to be visually inspected in the best conditions.
Manildra Group has mastered a truly neutral-tasting and odourless premium product, the blank canvas base from which craft and large-scale distillers can create world-class spirits.
Premium 100 per cent Australian, GMO-free wheat is hand-selected as feedstock; while wheat fermentation experts methodically test the grain neutral spirits to ensure they meet Manildra Group’s quality standards – the most stringent in the industry.
With an unwavering commitment to quality control systems and value-adding innovation, Manildra Group continues to set the standard globally for grain neutral spirits purity and excellence.
For more information on grain-neutral spirits and the full range of Manildra Group’s ethanol for food and beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care and industrial applications, contact ethanol.orders@manildra.com.au.
Lead Image: Manildra Group’s world-class seven column ethanol distillery is located at the Shoalhaven Starches manufacturing site in Nowra, New South Wales // PHOTO: DEAN HOLLAND
Above: The new ethanol sensory laboratory features the latest technology including four individual panellist booths. Each booth is fitted with multi-option booth LED lighting, sensory data iPad collection workstations and finely-tuned air and water purification systems // PHOTO: ANDREW LINTURN
Manildra Group is an Associate Member of the Drinks Association.