Evaluation and Acceptability of Roasted Barley Drink Through Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) Method

Abstract

Barley-based beverages are gaining attention as caffeine-free, functional alternatives to conventional tea and coffee. This study developed a roasted barley drink from four barley varieties – Sultan-17, JAU-21, Sanober-96, and Rakhshan-10 (AZ-96) – and a blend of the four, flavored with cardamom and cinnamon, and evaluated its sensory quality, consumer acceptance, and emotional response using the Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) method. One hundred untrained panelists rated the samples on a 9-point hedonic scale for flavor, aroma, mouth-feel, appearance, and overall acceptability, while descriptive and emotional attributes were collected using two CATA questionnaires (CATA-1 for sensory descriptors and CATA-2 for well-being/emotional descriptors). Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) under a Completely Randomized Design (CRD), followed by Fisher's Least Significant Difference (LSD) test. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found among varieties for every sensory attribute studied. Sanober-96 received the highest scores for flavor (7.50), aroma (7.35), mouth-feel (7.60), appearance (7.35), and overall acceptability (7.70), while Sultan-17 consistently scored lowest, reflecting a bitterer, over-roasted, and thicker profile. CATA-1 results showed that “malty,” “sweet,” “smooth,” and “roasted” were the descriptors most strongly associated with liking, whereas “bitter,” “thick,” and “grainy” dominated the least-liked sample. CATA-2 emotional mapping confirmed that Sanober-96 and the blended sample were most closely linked with positive well-being terms such as “refreshing,” “soothing,” and “nourishing,” while Sultan-17 was associated with negative emotional terms. Based on these findings it is recommended that barley beverage development for the market priorities moderate, controlled roasting and fine, uniform grinding – as achieved with Sanober-96 – and that further work characterize the antioxidant and functional properties of the beverage to support its positioning as a caffeine-free, health-oriented product.