Fermented
Sour, tangy or ripe character from fermentation, as in vinegar, yogurt and cheese.
Is every tangy smell fermented? · SmellBook Learn (free) · smellbook.com/learn/vocabulary/fermented-vs-tangy
SMELLBOOK LEARN · SMELL VOCABULARY
Is every tangy smell fermented?
Tangy
Bright sour or cultured smell character in food and fruit.
Only tangy in the Atlas
Described as both
Some smells carry both words, which is often where the difference is easiest to notice.
Try it
Pick one example from each side that you can find nearby. Smell each for a few seconds, rest, then smell the other. Write down the words that come to you before you check the Atlas, and notice where your words agree or differ.
SmellBook Learn is free. Examples come from SmellBook's descriptor pages, which combine each profile's own descriptors with curated lists. Descriptors describe how smells are commonly perceived; they are not objective measurements, and people can reasonably disagree.