A mouthfeel wheel based on physiological mechanisms for the sensory evaluation of beer and alcohol-free beer

Abstract

Mouthfeel is a multimodal sensory experience and an important component of overall flavour perception, yet it remains less clearly defined than taste and aroma. This study aimed to develop and sensory-validate a practical mouthfeel wheel for beer, with particular focus on alcoholic and non-alcoholic beers. Existing mouthfeel frameworks, including the Meilgaard Beer Flavour Wheel, Langstaff ’s beer mouthfeel framework, and Gawel’s wine mouthfeel wheel, were reviewed to refine terminology and guide the development of a comprehensive physiology-based mouthfeel wheel. A simplified version was created for sensory validation and comparison with existing frameworks. The simplified Wolinska-Kennard Mouthfeel Wheel organises beer mouthfeel attributes into four main categories: Irritation, Sensation, Movement, and Texture. It was compared with the Meilgaard and Langstaff frameworks during sensory evaluation sessions using alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer samples. Panellists assessed the frameworks for clarity, layout, logic, structure, and descriptor use. Statistical analysis showed that all four main categories significantly discriminated between the alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer samples while maintaining acceptable panel agreement. Compared with the Meilgaard and Langstaff frameworks, the simplified Wolinska-Kennard Mouthfeel Wheel provided broader perceptual coverage and more consistent descriptor use.
These findings suggest that the simplified Wolinska-Kennard Mouthfeel Wheel offers a clear and practical tool for beer mouthfeel evaluation, while the comprehensive framework provides a flexible model for future adaptation to different beer styles, applications, and consumer-oriented evaluations.