All these observations show the complexity of the
differentiation associated with axis 1: on the industrial
side more diluted ciders that are perceived by the panel as
fruity but also as heated products. On the other side more
‘‘concentrated’’ ciders that are also more bitter and
astringent but with ‘‘heavy flavours’’ that are often
considered as off flavours in the other beverages. A
possible interaction between these ‘‘heavy flavours’’ and
fruity/flowery might be examined to better understand the
signification of this polarization.
This work cannot explain the relations between the
different variables but it can be used to formulate some
hypotheses from their positions. The characteristics which
were perceived as different by the assessors were notably
the heavy and fruity flavours and also bitterness and
astringency. The main observation is that the methods
chosen by industry give ciders that are different from those