Internal and external mapping of preferences for commercial lager beers : comparison of hedonic ratings by consumers blind versus with knowledge of brand and price

Abstract The individual preferences of 170 consumers in six categories of age (20s, 30s, 40s) and gender (men, women) for 24 domestic, imported or specialty lager beers, tasted first blind and then with knowledge of brand and price, were investigated by preference mapping techniques. Internal preference mapping revealed differences in the preferences of consumers, with some consumers preferring domestic or ice beers, and others preferring specialty or imported beers. Hedonic ratings changed significantly from the blind to the informed tasting condition, particularly for consumers in their twenties, thereby documenting the significant role of non-sensory variables in the formulation of a hed…