EXPERIMENT AIMS TO IDENTIFY IF COFFEE FLAVOUR CAN BE AFFECTED BY MUSIC

Roast Central were inspired by watching an experiment carried out on how the taste of wine was altered by the colour of light, which caused them to wonder if it was possible to influence the taste of coffee by sound and music.

The experiment will take place on the Roast Central stand at the Festival. Visitors will be given a choice of two coffees with different flavour profiles, and will be asked to choose between a number of different music tracks to listen to through headphones whilst sampling the coffee. They will then be required to answer a short list of questions regarding the taste of the coffee they have experienced.

The results will be collated and analysed, with a view to discovering whether it could be possible for the choice of music played in coffee shops to have an effect on how customers perceive the taste and flavour of their cup of coffee.

Iain Birse, co-owner of Roast Central, had the following to say about the experiment:

“After reading and researching the theory that our senses might not be as separate as we first thought, I was interested to see whether an experiment using sound could reveal more about the way we perceive the taste of coffee.

He continued:

“We’re really excited about conducting this research at the Edinburgh Coffee Festival, and we’re hoping to produce some interesting results. Depending on the outcome of this trial, we’re potentially going to be working with a University professor to come up with an official outcome about how music and sound can influence taste and flavour.”