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Development of a suitable lexicon for sensory studies of the anise‐flavoured spirits ouzo and tsipouro
Author(s) -
Tsachaki Maroussa,
Arnaoutopoulou Archontia P.,
Margomenou Lila,
Roubedakis Stylianos C.,
Zabetakis Ioannis
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
flavour and fragrance journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.393
H-Index - 70
eISSN - 1099-1026
pISSN - 0882-5734
DOI - 10.1002/ffj.2007
Subject(s) - aftertaste , chemistry , wine , lexicon , sensory analysis , aroma , menthol , taste , sweetness , bitter taste , organoleptic , food science , artificial intelligence , computer science , organic chemistry
Ouzo and tsipouro belong to the group of anise‐flavoured spirits that are produced in countries around the Mediterranean Sea. Despite the high commercial value of these spirits, there has previously been no dedicated lexicon to describe their sensory properties. Six commercial samples of ouzo and three commercial samples of tsipouro, selected from different regions of Greece, were analysed using gas chromatography and sensory analysis. Their attributes (odour, taste and aftertaste) were examined in order to create a set of descriptors. Spider webs and principal components analysis (PCA) were used to create a lexicon describing the samples and demonstrating the differences between the two alcoholic beverages. Results from chemical and sensory analyses were combined using PCA and factor analysis. The ability of assessors to separate the products with real differences was confirmed using cluster analysis. A set of descriptors, suitable for these two products, was created and with its use the two products could be discriminated by sensory analysis. The descriptors used for odour were anise, mastic, sweet, alcoholic, herbal, vanilla, menthol and strong; for taste they were sweet, alcoholic, rich, spicy, artificial, aromatic, menthol and caustic; and for aftertaste they were sweet, alcoholic, artificial, spicy and bitter. These descriptors should be a useful methodological tool in future research and development (R&D), in both industry and academia, when studying alcoholic beverages. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.