Identification of Senory Attributes That Drive the Likeability of Korean Rice Wines by American Panelists

Six commercial Korean rice wines were described their sensory profiles by trained American panelists, and assessed acceptances by American subjects to identify the drivers of liking and disliking factors. Thirteen statistically different descriptive attributes were defined for Korean rice wines: aromas (apple, pear, earthy, peach, nutty, yeasty, honey), flavor (yeasty, nutty), taste (sweet, sour, bitter), and aftertaste (apricot). Samples A and F were characterized as sweet taste and fruity attributes, and sample C was characterized as being pear flavor and bitter taste. Sample B exhibited a strong earthy aroma, determined as the aroma of ginseng. The American subjects could not identify ginseng aroma due to their lack of experience in ginseng. Samples D and E were described as nutty and yeasty. In consumer test, consumer preference was skewed to sample A, for which the consumer preference revolved around the sweet, sour, and fruity characteristics of the sample by the principal component analysis. Few consumers expressed preference toward samples D and E, as evidenced by the lowest consumer acceptance ratings. Partial least squares regression revealed that the key liking factors of Korean rice wines were sweet, sour, and apricot flavors. Fruity characteristics (peach, apple, and pear) were also positively correlated with overall acceptance. The key disliking factors were yeasty and nutty characteristics. American subjects regarded Korean rice wine as belonging to the wine category, prompting them to grant the highest rank to sample A, which has similar characteristics to semisweet white wine. Practical Application: The results from this study can contribute to the reformulation or development of Korean rice wines to be attractive to American consumers. Key liking factors for Korean rice wine were apricot aftertaste, peach aroma, and sour taste, which were easily found in white or rose wine. Based on the results of this study, Korean rice wine that was similar to "white or rose wine" can easily approach to the American market due to its flavors and the word "wine." Korean breweries need to deliver "white or rose wine" characteristics to American potential consumers to enter the American alcoholic beverage market.