The Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) of common wheat of different origin (variety and altitude of cultivation) and craft wheat beers produced by using the wheat themselves were analyzed by SPME GC-MS. The VOCs of wheat kernels and wheat beers were compared, and 14 common flavor-active compounds were identified. Principal component analysis was used to describe changes in the profile of common volatiles induced by beer processing. A unifying approach by Generalized Procrustes analysis (GPA), which considers the overall characteristics of the datasets, permitted linking the VOCs of wheat to those of beers and to define a common flavor pattern. Despite the beer processing deeply affecting the overall volatilome profile, a consensus map permitted to clearly classify the VOCs profile of five out of six samples. This work revealed that differences in wheat VOCs induced by wheat variety and cultivation site were reflected in different beer aromatic profiles, highlighting the importance of origin on the wheat and beers’ flavor. This unifying approach to flavor analysis by GPA could be of help in sight of a certification of origin, since it may contribute not only to the definition of wheat origin but also of the “terroir” of wheat beer thereof.

Raw materials are recognized to affect the sensory profile of 'Blanche' craft beers and their 'terroir'. Two common wheat (Triticum aestivum, L.) were harvested in three experimental fields with different pedo-climatic conditions and altitudes, and then used for beer production. The taste and flavour of wheat beers were analysed by sensory (panel and consumer test) and SPME GC-MS analyses. Panel dataset was processed by multivariate statistical analyses: a principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that formulation was the main source of variation of sensory profile in wheat beers and a generalized Procrustes analysis (GPA) showed how wheat origin affected the sensory profiles of wheat craft beers based on the consensus among panelists. Moreover, a partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) on VOCs permitted to discriminate and characterize beers selected by a panel-driven approach. By comparing panel and VOCs results, it was possible to highlight that higher altitudes of wheat cultivation determine an increase of pleasant notes such as fruity and herbal. A PCA on consumer test data confirmed that formulation was the main factor affecting liking scores and that the preferences were affected by age, involvement and frequency of use. An internal preference map combining panel and consumer data suggested that the majority of preferences are driven by a few key sensory attributes. Differences in liking among the considered beers revealed two main consumer groups.