Let's blend the best whisky ever.

Blending whisky is an art. Every day, the master blenders of the world’s greatest distilleries use multi-generational heritage and skills to find a blend that will win the appreciation of connoisseurs. In the blending process, they grapple with the number of possible formulations from which they can select few for organoleptic analysis and comparison. When choosing casks for the blending and laboriously testing the various proportions, they are guided by intuition, experience and, above all, luck. After all, mixing just 10 malts in a one-ounce bottle using a one-ounce measure is milions different combinations!

At the Whisky Project, we treat whisky blending like a mathematical equation with many unknowns. We accept that finding the optimum flavour composition is beyond the capabilities of even the best master blender, which is why we use robotics and artificial intelligence. We methodically search for the global maximum in a multidimensional solution space. We scientifically compose a unique whisky that evolves with each iteration in the direction preferred by the audience.

Concept

Joining the AI revolution and the new era of blending, we create whisky that is created in a large-scale social experiment. We provide whisky lovers with different combinations of malts from bottling lines and model the collected ratings in the cloud using methods used in the sciences. We have no preferences or subjective beliefs for the blends we create, as they are formulated by mathematical calculations and the opinions of independent judges from thousands of tastings. Inspired by the work of John Holland and David Goldberg, we transfer the ideas of biological natural selection to the digital world, creating Neo-Darwinian evolution in silico. Its aim is to continually improve the taste and aroma of our whiskies based on established selection criteria.

A. Bottling

B. Distribution

D. Evaluation

C. Modelling

We search the multidimensional spaces of possible combinations of whisky ingredients, alternating bottling and testing different blends. Each such cycle contains the same steps: (A) bottling of dramsets (test blends); (B) distribution of blends to whisky lovers; (C) sensory evaluations via online questionnaires; (D) data processing and AI modelling of new combinations for the next cycle. The efficiency of blending and the probability of finding the perfect blend depends on the number of test blends, the number of cycles and the number of judges.

Technology

The projects use Labomatica’s innovative Gene Game^TM software. Gene Game^TM enables precise combinatorial process optimisation using genetic algorithms and a multi-channel bottling line. Genetic algorithms are a type of metaheuristics used to solve optimisation problems that mimic evolutionary processes in nature, such as selection, crossover and mutation. The evolutionary process occurs in successive generations, in which new individuals compete for survival in the population based on their adaptation function. Through selection, the best-adapted individuals are more likely to survive and reproduce, leading to a successive improvement in the quality of solutions in the population. In the context of whisky blending, individuals are blends of different compositions and selection is their sensory evaluation by tasters.

As proof of the above claim and the correct operation of the Gene Game^TM, we performed an evolutionary optimisation of red, green and blue dye on microtest plates. Our goal was to find the proportion of dyes that had the most blue colour. Each dye was optimised at 151 levels, resulting in a search space of 3,442,951 (3 components optimised between 0-30 uL and 0.2 uL resolution). We assessed the intensity of the blue colour spectrophotometrically. The known global maximum was to use the blue dye without the addition of the others. The solution was found in the 4^th generation using 384 different combinations (sampling 0.0001% of possible formulations).

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Barrels

In the selection of casks for blending, we are guided by the principle of differentiated aromas, which give the blends a rich bouquet and allow optimisation in any direction. We choose different distilleries and regions and combine a variety of traditions, experiences and technologies. We appreciate different aromas, flavours and finishes: fragrant and floral, sweet and medium-bodied, spicy and dry. We use light and fragrant malts but do not avoid rich compositions in which the influence of oak with sherry accents is clearly visible. We assemble delicate whiskies with malt and honey character as well as complex smoky and peaty distillates. The texture of our blends is enriched and balanced with grain whiskies. We are constantly on the lookout for ones that offer palatability, delicacy and silky creaminess.

We typically formulate blends with 40% ethanol concentration, completing the portfolio with full strength single barrels, no caramel and cold filtration. Different series of projects determine the minimum ageing time of the constituent components. We are passionate about creating uncompromised 18-year premium blended whiskies but are not shy about 3-year-aged spirits based on carefully selected ingredients.

Sensory

Sensory evaluations of the blends are carried out based on randomised questionnaire surveys during each buying cycle. Everyone is invited to participate without selection criteria. Judges are also recruited from experts at whisky festivals, tasting clubs and the HORECA industry. We test thousands of flavour combinations using double-blind trials. We average the ratings of each blend in at least 10 repetitions with different people. We use QR code labelling of dramsets and smartphone responses in surveys.

We objectify the results and facilitate evaluation by providing only alternative choices – indicating the better blend from two drawn flavour compositions marked in red and black. The system of reference and standardisation of results is the blend that scored best organoleptically in the previous iteration. We keep reports of the research, which we make available to project participants.

Projects

Our projects operate within three distinct series — INFINITY, EVOLUTION, and PARADIGM. Each project is individually numbered and defined by the type of whisky components used. INFINITY projects are built on 3-year-aged whiskies, offering an accessible starting point. EVOLUTION projects use 6-year-old single malts, striking a balance between quality and price. PARADIGM projects represent the premium range, crafted exclusively from 18-year-old single cask malts.

In addition to ingredient quality, each project is guided by a unique set of AI optimisation parameters. These include a solution space of 10 to 1000 trillions possible blend combinations, 5 to 25 whisky components, 10 to 100 dosage levels, 5 to 20 generational cycles, and 1,000 to 5,000 test blends (dramsets) per generation. This iterative, AI-driven process enables each project to develop its own identity and distinctive sensory profile. On average, 1 to 3 projects per series are completed and bottled each year, with batch sizes ranging from 250 to 10,000 bottles, depending on component availability and demand. Once a project is completed and its final 0.7L blend is bottled, participation is no longer possible. However, a new project is then launched, and all optimal blends from completed projects remain available in the Whisky Project shop while supplies last.

Learn more at www.whiskyproject.ai/projects

How to participate?

1

Select and join the project you want to participate in. You will receive a dramset with two blends formulated from millions of possible combinations.

2

Taste and evaluate both compositions. Scan the QR code with your smartphone and guide the AI to your preferred dram.

3

Check the project report to follow optimisation progress across generations. Compare randomised blends and explore ratings from other participants.

4

Enjoy your bottle of the optimal blend at the end of the project. Experience Whisky AI – the culmination of community feedback and AI-driven flavour optimisation.

Join the Project

Become part of a global community shaping the future of whisky through the world’s first AI-guided social blending. Every dramset evaluation you contribute helps the AI refine rare and distinctive flavours, securing your place in whisky history.

As a participant, you unlock exclusive access to bottlings available only within the project, reports that document your role in their creation, and specials that carry the spirit of excellence into lifestyle. Taste and celebrate Whisky AI – a scientific blend born from the collaboration of enthusiasts and innovators worldwide.