Proefwaters

Proefwaters are waters used in tasting procedures to cleanse the palate and provide a baseline against which flavors can be evaluated. The term is Dutch and literally translates to "tasting waters." In sensory analysis, proefwaters serve to neutralize residual flavors between samples and to help judges compare wines, beers, coffees, or other beverages without interference from previous tastings.

In professional settings such as wine competitions, coffee cuppings, beer tastings, and pharmaceutical quality control, proefwaters play a supporting role in ensuring consistent evaluation. The choice of proefwater depends on the aims: some practitioners prefer distilled or demineralized water with minimal impurities to avoid introducing new flavors, while others use filtered tap water for convenience, provided it is clean and neutral.

In wine tasting, a small amount of neutral water may be offered between samples; in other contexts, a sip of water may be used as a palate cleanser. Proefwaters may also function as controls in sensory studies to check the testers’ responses independent of water quality.

Preparation and standards for proefwaters emphasize the need for purity and neutrality. Water used for tasting should be free from strong odors, have low mineral content, and maintain consistent pH to avoid influencing results. In laboratory or competition settings, guidelines may specify acceptable ranges for total dissolved solids or conductance levels to preserve comparability.

See also: sensory analysis, palate cleanser, tasting, water quality.