Consumer testing of commercial lager beers in blind versus informed conditions: Relation with descriptive analysis and expert quality ratings

Abstract

American beer consumers (n=170), evenly distributed into six categories based on age (20s, 30s, 40s) and gender, tasted 24 commercial, domestic/ice, imported and speciality lagers first blind (week 1) and then with knowledge of brand and price (week 2). They rated overall degree of liking (DOL) and DOL of the appearance, carbonation, aroma, taste, body/mouthfeel and aftertaste of the beer on a 9-point hedonic scale, and purchase intent (PI) on a 5-point scale, and indicated in which situation they would consume the beers. Relationships between consumer ratings and descriptive analysis and quality ratings by brewing experts were then analysed with multivariate statistics. Gender differences were observed, with men preferring stronger-flavoured beers (speciality > imported > domestic) regardless of quality, whereas women's hedonic ratings paralleled expert quality ratings. DOL and PI ratings of some domestic and imported beers decreased and increased, respectively, from the blind to the informed condition, suggesting American consumers view imported beers as superior products, even though blind tasting suggested otherwise. In all age and gender groups, liking for taste was the best predictor of overall liking.