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Blending is a distinctly human act: other creatures don’t experiment in this way. So in this series we’re looking at four blended products – whisky, tea, perfume and champagne – to find out why we blend things, and why some blends work when others don’t. What do we hope to gain? What do we fear losing? And is blending an art … or a science? Barry Smith, a philosopher, tries to answer these questions by consuming rare teas, fine whiskies and perfect champagnes … so that you don’t have to.

Today Barry talks to three blending experts about the art and science of blending.