Honey
Sensory Quality System™
Raw, monofloral, blended, comb and flavoured honey — clarity, aroma typicity and floral authenticity.
Read more →How to evaluate
Sensory Quality System™
Excellent Taste Awards has introduced the updated Sensory Quality System™, a structured and transparent evaluation framework designed to ensure consistency, objectivity and credibility across its awards. Every category is judged against its own sensory protocol, by a blind-tasting panel, on the same 100-point scale.
26 protocols · One standard
A system written for every category
Each protocol defines what the panel looks for in that product — from the pungency of an olive oil to the crumb of a biscuit — so a Gold medal in honey means exactly the same as a Gold medal in wine.
Cheese
Sensory Quality System™
Fresh, soft-ripened, semi-hard and blue cheeses — texture, ripeness, balance and finish.
Read more →Wine
Sensory Quality System™
Still and sparkling wines — colour, aroma complexity, structure and length on the palate.
Read more →Vinegar
Sensory Quality System™
Balsamic, cider, wine and specialty vinegars — acidity, sweetness and depth of character.
Read more →Spirits & Liquors
Sensory Quality System™
Distillates, liqueurs and vermouths — purity, aromatic intensity and harmony.
Read more →Biscuits
Sensory Quality System™
Sweet and savoury biscuits — crumb, snap, butter richness and clean finish.
Read more →Bread & Flours
Sensory Quality System™
Breads, rusks and flours — crust, crumb structure, fermentation aromas and taste.
Read more →Chicken
Sensory Quality System™
Fresh and prepared chicken — texture, juiciness, flavour depth and absence of defects.
Read more →Confectionery & Snacks
Sensory Quality System™
Pralines, nougats and savoury bites — balance of sweetness, texture and flavour delivery.
Read more →Craft Beers & Ciders
Sensory Quality System™
Beers and ciders — head retention, carbonation, malt and hop character, finish.
Read more →Dairy Products
Sensory Quality System™
Yoghurt, butter, cream and milk — freshness, body, acidity and clean dairy notes.
Read more →Fruit and Vegetables
Sensory Quality System™
Fresh, dried and minimally processed produce — ripeness, intensity and varietal truth.
Read more →Instant Drinks — Tea, Coffee, Chocolate
Sensory Quality System™
Soluble drinks and infusions — aroma on infusion, mouthfeel and flavour clarity.
Read more →Marmalades
Sensory Quality System™
Jams, marmalades and fruit spreads — fruit identity, set, acidity-sugar harmony.
Read more →Meat
Sensory Quality System™
Cured, smoked and fresh meat preparations — texture, salt balance and depth of flavour.
Read more →Olive Oil — Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sensory Quality System™
Extra virgin and monovarietal oils — fruitiness, bitterness, pungency and defects-free character.
Read more →Olives
Sensory Quality System™
Table olives — firmness, curing balance and varietal aroma.
Read more →Pasta
Sensory Quality System™
Dried and fresh pasta — cooking quality, texture and honest grain flavour.
Read more →Plant-based Foods
Sensory Quality System™
Vegan alternatives across dairy, meat and meals — texture, flavour truth and balance.
Read more →Spices, Herbs & Seasonings
Sensory Quality System™
Single spices, blends, dried herbs and salts — pungency, aroma purity and freshness.
Read more →Rice & Grains
Sensory Quality System™
Rice, pulses and ancient grains — cooking behaviour, texture and natural taste.
Read more →Seafood
Sensory Quality System™
Preserved, smoked and cured seafood — freshness, texture and clean marine character.
Read more →Sauce
Sensory Quality System™
Table sauces, dressings and pestos — consistency, emulsion stability and flavour harmony.
Read more →Soft Drinks
Sensory Quality System™
Juices, sodas and functional drinks — carbonation, sweetness balance and finish.
Read more →Spreads
Sensory Quality System™
Nut butters, compotes and spreads — smoothness, ingredient honesty and finish.
Read more →Water
Sensory Quality System™
Mineral and spring waters — purity, minerality and mouthfeel.
Read more →The common core
What every protocol has in common
Whatever the product, the panel scores the same five dimensions on a 100-point sensory sheet — with the descriptors inside each dimension tuned to the category, so every medal is earned on comparable, absolute merit.
- Appearance
- 10 pts — colour, clarity, structure.
- Aroma
- 20 pts — intensity, complexity, typicity.
- Texture
- 15 pts — mouthfeel and consistency.
- Taste
- 35 pts — depth of flavour, no defects.
- Balance & finish
- 20 pts — harmony and length.