1965-1972 - Arthur D. Little

From Chemistry to Flavour Science

Fresh from Heriot-Watt University, Jim Swan joined Arthur D. Little (ADL) at their UK research facility in Inveresk, southeast of Edinburgh. This was an immersion into cutting-edge flavour science at the moment when chemistry was revolutionising how the world ate and drank.

A Global Leader in Flavour Science

Arthur D. Little worked with leading scientists on a global scale to understand how humans perceived flavour. With clients including Monsanto, Campbell's Soup, the US Department of Agriculture, and National Biscuit Company, ADL's scientific approach had pioneered MSG as a flavour enhancer, and cracked the code for artificial sweeteners in the booming diet drinks market.

                A Revolutionary Era: Between 1963 and 1967, artificially sweetened soft drinks nearly tripled their market share to over 10% of the soda market. With major players scrambling to develop competitive products, flavour houses with proven expertise commanded premium fees.
            

The Flavour Profile Method

At the heart of ADL's approach was the Flavour Profile Method: a systematic way to evaluate and quantify how people perceived taste and smell. This method provided a rigorous framework that bridged the gap between laboratory analysis and human sensory experience.

This method was particularly useful for traditional industries where the end product has a delicate and complex flavour and is consumed as an aid to relaxation or pleasure. Typical examples include potable spirits, wine, beer, perfumery products, tea and tobacco.

Training in Two Disciplines

Jim Swan mastered gas chromatography, the analytical technique that allowed chemists to separate and identify volatile compounds creating a product's aroma and flavour. But he learned something equally valuable: analytical chemistry alone could not fully capture what made a product appealing to consumers.

The combination of analytical precision with structured human evaluation would define his approach to whisky for the next four decades.

Application to Whisky

In 1972, Jim Swan and his colleagues established The Whisky Consortium at Inveresk, applying these flavour profiling techniques to Scotch whisky: one of the first systematic applications of rigorous scientific methodology to Scotland's traditional spirit.

The Complete Account

The full story of Jim Swan's years at Arthur D. Little, including his training in the Flavour Profile Method, early work with distilleries, and the formation of The Whisky Consortium, is documented in the forthcoming book about his work in whisky science.

Discover how techniques developed for the American food industry were adapted to understand and preserve the subtle complexities of traditional Scotch whisky.