Introduction Bart J. Meijer is a distiller with an exceptional nose and palate, that he uses in the drinks industry as well as in other food industries as a professional taster. I asked him to judge the Strawberry Liqueur we made last weekend with the new iStill Extractor Column. Bart passes his judgement underneath ... Bart's Judgement Let me start by stating that having a great nose and palate isn't a blessing always. When a beautiful lady walks by me, and her perfume does not match her deodorant, I not only notice that, I also dislike it. It's the same with cooking, drinking, and eating. I smell and taste the difference between chopped and sliced onions and strawberries for instance, which can be very disturbing to both me and my host. So whenever I am asked to give my honest opinion about something, well, it often ends in disappointments. For me and for the person asking my opinion. When Odin asked me to judge the Strawberry Liqueur that his team made, I was worried quite a bit. Strawberry Liqueur usually smells and tastes like strawberry candy, with a lot of artificial notes present. Or at best, it smells and tastes like overcooked strawberry jam. But Odin wanted my honest opinion, and so I overcame my worries and scepticisme, and had a go at it. First impressions: This is different, not to say bizarre. I smell and taste freshly sliced strawberry. I almost cannot believe my nose! Tasting: no trace of artificial components at all. Put the glass down for a moment of reflection: "This is not possible!" Second impressions, after nosing over some coffee to reset my palate: once again the smell and taste of freshly cut strawberries. Not cooked or crushed, but as if you are eating a fresh slice of strawberry with a minimal amount of sugar on it. The reason I say "bizarre", Odin, is because you and your team have managed to capture the essence of strawberry in a glass. I don't know how you did it, but congratulations on an amazing result! Additional I just served Bart our Strawberry Liqueur. I didn't tell him that we used the new iStill Extractor Column for it, because I didn't want him to start with the impression that he was going to taste something special. That wouldn't have been fair. Of course, afterwards, I did explain to Bart the technology and procedures we used. Bart is currently considering planting strawberries on his farm and getting an iStill with the Extractor Column ...

Schematic representation of the Beta Version iStill Extraction Column ...

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