A comparison of taste test ratings, repeated consumption and post-consumption ratings of different strengths of iced tea

The objective of this study was to compare taste test liking ratings with amounts consumed and postconsumption liking ratings made as iced tea of different strengths was repeatedly consumed. Subjects (n = 23) first rated their liking and the flavor intensity of several samples of iced tea with sugar and lemon flavor. Two concentrations were selected from this test to represent distinctly different flavor intensities. Taste test liking ratings of the strong concentration were higher than those of the weak concentration (6.7 vs. 4.7 on a nine-point hedonic scale). Subjects were separated into two groups, one that consumed the high concentration and one that consumed the low concentration. Subjects consumed the iced tea ad libitum on 20 different afternoons over a 2-month period and rated their liking of the tea after each session. We measured the amount of tea consumed each time. On repeated consumption the subjects liked the weaker tea better than the stronger tea (62 vs. 53 on a 100 unit scale). This was a dramatic reversal of their taste test ratings. Subjects consumed about the same amount of each tea. Neither liking ratings nor amounts consumed changed over the 20 sessions.