There has been increasing discussion of the off-aroma that many of us experience from The Veg - Clubman Lilac Vegetal. Members here have attributed to be a chemical leeching into the aftershave from the plastic used in Clubman bottles, and that by transferring the AS to a glass bottle allows this chemical to off-gas and eliminates the off-aroma. This worked for me with a bottle of Whiskey Woods. This is great news for those who aren't "chosen" as they now have a solution to the cat **** problem. My reason for this post isn't the off-gassing issue, but rather the interesting fact that some are "chosen" and can sense the catty aroma while others cannot.
Beer brewers and IPA enthusiasts have long known that there is a hop varietal, Simcoe, that has a distinct "catty" aroma for some (catty is the polite flavor descriptor for feline pee). And while many are absolutely repulsed by the cattiness, others can't even detect it. It turns out that we all have "olfactory blind spots." For example, take Galaxolide. This is a sunthetic chemical often used in cosmetics. About 40% of people smell absolutely nothing while the other 60% detect a floral aroma. This blind spot is a preference, it is life long and has a genetic basis. Do you taste what I taste? It has long been known in homebrewing circles that Simcoe's catty aroma is one of these possible genetic blind spot aromas.
While we can't know if the chemical in Simcoe hops and the cat pee aroma in The Veg are the same chemical, the idea of being "chosen" by The Veg as being a permanent thing (not a preference mood that can change) suggests at least a parallel. This makes it clear to me that the cat urine aroma in The Veg also exists in one of these olfactory blind spots. Anyone else have a similar experience?
Beer brewers and IPA enthusiasts have long known that there is a hop varietal, Simcoe, that has a distinct "catty" aroma for some (catty is the polite flavor descriptor for feline pee). And while many are absolutely repulsed by the cattiness, others can't even detect it. It turns out that we all have "olfactory blind spots." For example, take Galaxolide. This is a sunthetic chemical often used in cosmetics. About 40% of people smell absolutely nothing while the other 60% detect a floral aroma. This blind spot is a preference, it is life long and has a genetic basis. Do you taste what I taste? It has long been known in homebrewing circles that Simcoe's catty aroma is one of these possible genetic blind spot aromas.
While we can't know if the chemical in Simcoe hops and the cat pee aroma in The Veg are the same chemical, the idea of being "chosen" by The Veg as being a permanent thing (not a preference mood that can change) suggests at least a parallel. This makes it clear to me that the cat urine aroma in The Veg also exists in one of these olfactory blind spots. Anyone else have a similar experience?