The Outcomes
Aroma
What do I smell? Fruit, floral, spice, wood, smoke, herbal, earth, caramel — spirits draw on the same broad aroma families as wine, just built through a very different process.
Subtle
Quiet and understated — you have to search for what's there.
Delicate
Present but gentle — a light lift of fruit, floral or herbal notes.
Pronounced
Clear, identifiable aromas that don't need coaxing out of the glass.
Layered
Several aroma categories at once — fruit alongside spice, wood alongside earth.
Intense
Assertive and immediate, filling the glass the moment it's poured.
Aroma intensity and aroma category are two different questions — a spirit can be intensely floral or subtly smoky. This scale covers intensity; the categories themselves come from the raw material and the choices made with it.