taster
Sips before royalty
A taster is someone who tastes food or drink professionally—evaluating quality, checking for poison, or sampling products before sale: a wine taster, a royal taster.
The word extends to small samples meant to give a preview: The article offers a taster of what's in the book.
A taster can also be a small cup or spoon used for sampling.
Oral cavity ceiling
- gustationSense of flavor
- olfactionSense of scent detection
- aromaPleasant distinctive smell
- flavorCharacteristic taste quality
mouthfeel · nose · tongue · umami · sweet · sour · bitter · salty
Selection for trying
- sampleSubset for study
- sipSmall mouthful of liquid
- nibbleSmall, tentative bite
- morselSmall piece of food
preview · trial · test · snippet · excerpt · demo · swatches · assortment
Highly skilled practitioner
- aficionadoKnowledgeable, passionate follower
- gourmetConnoisseur of fine cuisine
- epicureLover of fine food
- gastronomeCulinary connoisseur
oenophile · cognoscente · authority · critic · enthusiast · savant · virtuoso · arbiter
Keen perception and judgment
- assessmentFormal evaluation of worth
- critiqueDetailed evaluative analysis
- appraisalEstimation of worth
- ratingAssigned evaluative score
scoring · comparison · analysis · feedback · standards · criteria · judgment · perception
palate
Oral cavity ceiling
flavor · mouthfeel · nose · tongue · umami · sweet · sour · bitter · salty · savory
sampler
Selection for trying
morsel · preview · trial · test · snippet · excerpt · demo · swatches · assortment · compilation
expert
Highly skilled practitioner
- aficionadoKnowledgeable, passionate follower
- gourmetConnoisseur of fine cuisine
- epicureLover of fine food
gastronome · oenophile · cognoscente · authority · critic · enthusiast · savant · virtuoso · arbiter · pundit
discernment
Keen perception and judgment
- assessmentFormal evaluation of worth
- critiqueDetailed evaluative analysis
- appraisalEstimation of worth
rating · scoring · comparison · analysis · feedback · standards · criteria · judgment · perception · distinction
sommelier
Trained wine service professional
evaluator · grader · inspector · certifier · professional
poison
Harmful ingested substance
- royalOf monarchs
- precautionPreventive safety measure
- courtTrial venue or sports surface
antidote · suspicion · loyalty · risk · servant · protector · guardian · medieval · monarch · trusted
- Samplessample, blood sample, DNA sample, water sample, soil sample
- beverage workersbartenders, bartender, brewers, barkeep, distillers
- wine jobsvintner, winemaker, wine maker, sommelier, viticulturist
- castle staffchamberlain, chambermaid, butler, guard, handmaiden
- evaluatorsevaluator, assessor, appraiser, reviewer, critic
- taste testblind test, sample, comparison, rating, ranking
tasterfull portion
Complete allocated amount
main course · entrée · feast · banquet
- taste budsFlavor-detecting tongue cells
- good tasteSense of quality
- blind tastingUnlabeled sample assessment
- to tastePer individual preference
- taste testComparing samples for preference
- poor tasteDeficient aesthetic judgment
taste, tasteless, tasted, tasteful, tasting, distaste, tastes, distasteful, aftertaste