Biology May Give Women an Edge in Bourbon Tasting, Experts Say

WHO:

Fox News - Susan Reigler, a Louisville, Kentucky-based whiskey expert and author, told Fox News Digital that “Women have a keener sense of smell and taste than men.”

Fox News - Reigler is a past president of the Bourbon Women organization.

Fox News - Caitlin McLean, vice president of Qualitative Solutions at MMR Research Worldwide’s North American offices in New York, discussed factors that may affect tasting differences between men and women.

Fox News - McLean said that women, on average, outperform men in olfactory tasks, while noting that the theory of maternal instinct is difficult to prove scientifically.

Fox News - Reigler said men can also be excellent tasters and that becoming a skilled taster “just takes practice.”

Fox News - Sadie Chafe is identified as a writer on Fox News Digital’s Lifestyle team.

WHAT:

NY Post - The article presents a debate over whether women have an advantage over men when tasting bourbon.

Fox News - A scientific paper published in 2014 reported that women have just under 50% more neurons than men in olfactory regions.

Fox News - Reigler said Kentucky distilleries’ tasting and quality-control panels historically consisted mostly of women.

Fox News - McLean said bourbon’s distinctive notes—including vanilla, cinnamon, leather, tobacco, smoke and dark fruit—are identified through retronasal olfaction.

WHERE:

Fox News - Reigler is based in Louisville, Kentucky; McLean works in MMR Research Worldwide’s North American offices in New York.

Fox News - Reigler referred to tasting panels at Kentucky distilleries and women holding their own on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.

WHY:

Fox News - A stronger sense of smell may help women taste bourbon; estrogen is associated with heightened smell sensitivity, and olfactory sensitivity can differ during pregnancy or menopause.

Fox News - The belief that women may be better bourbon tasters is partly rooted in a theory that stronger smell and taste are biological adaptations to protect children; McLean said this explanation is difficult to establish scientifically.

HOW:

Fox News - Orthonasal olfaction occurs when aromas enter through the nostrils. Retronasal olfaction occurs when aromas rise from the back of the palate and reach the nose from inside the mouth.

Fox News - McLean said retronasal olfaction contributes to bourbon’s complexity, finish and overall enjoyment, while the tongue and palate alone can taste only so much.

Fox News - McLean said bourbon tasting involves more than sensations in the mouth and on the palate.

(UPDATED November 1, 2026 02:56 UTC)

Women may have a bourbon-tasting edge, experts say, partly because they often smell better. Bourbon’s complex flavors depend heavily on aromas traveling from the mouth to the nose. But experts stress biology isn’t destiny: men can become excellent tasters through practice.