This starts evolving into a popular discussion among beer- and wine- heads. Terroir. With beer, the terroir, other than the ingredients such as malt, hops, and yeast, also involves the complicated water chemistry at play. My favorite example is Belgian beer. Stateside brewers have had some success in obtaining the precise strains of yeast used by the monasteries in Belgium who make what is, to me, the world's best beer (narrowly edging out Germany). And yet, if blindfolded, I could usually pick out an American-made Belgian style vs. a true Belgian Trippel, Dubbel, Quad, Golden, etc. I'll go so far as to say there is only one Belgian-style made in America I've had that, somehow, matches the flavors and aromas of beer from Belgium (Dragonmead Final Absolution. It's made with Detroit water, too - some of the lowest quality municipal water I've ever had).
All that to say, when you dive deep into the chemistry, it gets really complicated really quick, bouncing between organic and inorganic chemical theory. If someone develops an art or a touch, it is not always something that can be taught by anyone or anything other than raw experience and, often, local conditions, unless you have a state-of-the-art laboratory at your disposal.
