Mouthfeel

Mouthfeel covers all tactile sensations in the mouth that have nothing to do with taste in the narrow sense. These include temperature, viscosity, the tingle of carbonation, dryness caused by tannins and the creamy softness of a drink.

It is described with words such as velvety, round, watery, sharp, creamy or rough. Mouthfeel has a great influence on how pleasant a drink is perceived to be. In sparkling wine, for example, the fineness of the bubbles plays a part, in red wine the structure of the tannins, in milk-based drinks the creaminess.