An odour sensing instrument has been developed and used to classify many different materials, including beers, spirits and alcohols. The next stage in development is to begin to relate subjective odour descriptors (e.g. fruity, minty) to quantitative sensor array measurements. This task is being approached using both neural network and multivariate statistical techniques. The ultimate goal is to provide a measurement standard for odours. This exciting prospect requires the integration of sensor technology, signal conditioning, data acquisition and pattern recognition.