Aromatic profiling of flavor active compounds in sugarcane spirits aged in tropical wooden barrels

Bortoletto, Aline Marques; Silvello, Giovanni Casagrande; Alcarde, André Ricardo

doi:10.1590/1981-6723.07119

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Brazil

Brazilian Journal of Food Technology

Português Español

Brazil

Português Español

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE • Braz. J. Food Technol. 24 • 2021 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1981-6723.07119 copy

Aromatic profiling of flavor active compounds in sugarcane spirits aged in tropical wooden barrels

Perfil aromático de compostos ativos de aroma em destilados de cana-de-açúcar envelhecidos em barris de madeiras tropicais

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

Abstract

The production of high quality spirits implies an aging period in wooden barrels, resulting in numerous physicochemical reactions between the wood and the beverage. Oak is the main wood used in the aging process of alcoholic beverages worldwide. However, in Brazil, the use of tropical wood species can be a viable option, allowing for innovation in the characteristics of spirits. This study aimed to determine the aromatic profiling of flavor active compounds in Brazilian sugarcane spirit (cachaça) after a 12-month aging period in new 225-L toasted and non-toasted barrels made from the tropical wood species cerejeira [Amburana cearensis (Fr. Allem.) A.C. Smith], castanheira (Bertholletia excelsa Humboldt & Bonpland), and cabreúva (Myrocarpus frondosus Allemão). The chemical characterization was carried out using the Gas-Chromatography/Mass Spectroscopy (GC/MS) scan mode, and the identification targeted on flavor active compounds (esters, alcohols, organic acids, phenolic compounds, and terpenes). Toasted and non-toasted cerejeira barrels intensified the contents of phenolic compounds in cachaça. The samples aged in cerejeira barrels exhibited the most complex profile, mainly related to organic acids and phenolic compounds. However, cabreúva barrels transferred significant aromatic terpenes to cachaça. This research presented a novel focus on the aromatic profiling of flavor active compounds in cachaça aged in barrels made from tropical wood species.

Keywords:
Distilled spirits; Aging marker compounds; Aging; Toasted barrels; Cachaça; Sugarcane

Compounds	Descriptors1	Cerejeira barrel (area %)²		Cabreúva barrel (area %)²		Castanheira barrel (area %)2		Unaged cachaça (area %)²
Compounds	Descriptors1	Toasted	Non-toasted	Toasted	Non-toasted	Toasted	Non-toasted	Unaged cachaça (area %)²
Esters
Ethyl acetate	Solvent, pineapple	5.44^b	3.74 ^c	2.93 ^c	5.72 ^b	10.61 ^a	10.93 ^a	1.13 ^d
Ethyl butanoate	Pineapple	0.09 ^a	0.06 ^a					0.02 ^b
Ethyl hexanoate	Fruity, sweety, anise	0.11 ^a					0.19 ^a
Ethyl linolate	Fatty, hay	0.23 ^b	2.50 ^a	0.18 ^b	0.75 ^b
Ethyl heptadecanoate	Fruity	0.06
Ethyl octadecanoate	Fruity, wine, waxy, sweet, apricot, banana, brandy, pear	0.11 ^b	0.65 ^a			0.22 ^b
Methyl octadecadienoate	Oily, fatty	0.26 ^a				0.59 ^a	0.43 ^a
Ethyl hexadecanoate	Fatty, rancid	0.73 ^b	0.40 ^c	0.94 ^b	3.17 ^a	1.27 ^b	1.27 ^b
Isoamyl acetate	Banana		0.04
Ethyl octanoate	Fruity, lemon, anise		0.51 ^c	0.35 ^c	0.94 ^b	1.15 ^b	1.84 ^a	0.12 ^d
Ethyl decanoate	Leaf, grape		0.97 ^b	0.70 ^b	2.00 ^a	2.22 ^a	2.24 ^a	0.16 ^c
2-hexyl acetate	Fruity, green, apple, banana, sweet		0.07
Isoeugenol methyl ester	Spicy, clove, resinous, woody		0.05
Ethyl methanoate	Ethereal, green, alcohol, rose, cognac		0.68 ^c		5.93 ^b		7.90 ^a
Butadienoic acid methyl ester	Oily, fatty					0.06
Ethyl dodecanoate	Sweet, waxy, floral, soapy, clean						1.27
*Alcohols*
Isobutanol	Sweet, chemical	0.81 ^a	0.85 ^a				0.94 ^a
1-butanol	Pungent, alcoholic	0.09 ^a	0.09 ^a
Isoamyl alcohol	Bitter, fusel, whiskey, malt, burn	41.86 ^c	33.89 ^c	20.76 ^d	57.98 ^b	66.12 ^b	65.98 ^b	77.21 ^a
Benzyl alcohol	Floral, rose, phenolic, sweet, balsamic, fruity	0.12 ^a	2.80 ^b
Phenylethyl alcohol	Floral, sweet, rose	1.87 ^b	0.94 ^c	0.93 ^c	1.48 ^b	1.98 ^b	1.62 ^b	2.88 ^a
*Carboxylic Acids*
Formic acid	Pungent	2.78 ^b	2.06 ^b	1.65 ^b				6.15 ^a
Propanoic acid	Vinegar, pungent, acidic, dairy-like	0.12 ^a	0.11 ^a	0.16 ^a		0.21 ^a
Decanoic acid	Fatty acid, cheesy	1.30 ^b		0.91 ^b		1.94 ^a	1.71 ^a	0.81 ^b
Butanoic acid	Cheesy, rancid, cheesy	0.21 ^a	0.18 ^a			0.25 ^a	0.22 ^a	0.11 ^b
Pentanoic acid	Sweaty, rancid	0.09
Hexanoic acid	Fatty acid, sweaty	0.15 ^a	0.13 ^a			0.20 ^a	0.16 ^a
Heptanoic acid	Cheesy,	0.07 ^b	0.16 ^b	0.45 ^a
Octanoic acid	Cheesy, manure, sweaty	0.86 ^a					1.12 ^a	0.95 ^a
Benzeneformic acid	Pungent	0.10 ^b	0.05 ^b	0.42 ^a
Dodecanoic acid	Fatty acid	1.21
3-methylpentanoic acid	Sweaty, rancid		0.06
Pentadecanoic acid	Waxy	0.59 ^a	0.56 ^a
Hexadecanoic acid	Waxy, creamy, fatty, soapy, dairy	0.75 ^a	0.60 ^a				0.50 ^a
Benzoic acid	Fruity, cherry		15.28 ^a					9.98 ^b
Tetradecanoic acid	Waxy, fatty, soapy, cheesy		0.04
Octadecenoic acid	Oily, waxy, fried		0.86
Octadecadienoic acid	Faint, fatty		1.01
*Phenolics*
β-angelica lactone	Herbal, sweet, anisic, nutty	0.61 ^a	0.47 ^a
Guaiacol	Animal, phenol	2.78 ^a				0.66 ^b	0.40 ^b
P-cresol (4-methylfenol)	Medicinal	0.30 ^b	0.74 ^a
2,3-xylenol	Phenolic, chemical, musty	0.10 ^b	0.31 ^a
P-vinylguaiacol	Burned, smoky, spicy	0.07 ^a	0.02 ^b
Syringol	Bacon	0.28 ^c	1.70 ^a	0.22 ^c		0.75 ^b	0.41 ^b
Methyl anthranilate	Sweet, fruity, grape, musty, berry	7.03 ^a	4.35 ^b	2.61 ^c		8.23 ^a
Coumarin	Tonka bean (Dipteryx odorata)	19.08 ^a	17.75 ^a	0.51 ^b
Hydrocoumarin	Sweet, creamy, coconut, vanilla, spicy	8.08 ^a	0.46 ^b	0.69 ^b		0.55 ^b	0.41 ^b
Methoxyeugenol	Sweet, spicy, clove, woody, phenolic	0.12
Vanillin	Vanilla, sweet, floral	0.43 ^b	1.06 ^a			0.68 ^b
Vanillic acid	Sweet, creamy, vanilla	0.27 ^b	2.68 ^a
*Terpenes*
Farnesol	Medicinal	0.44 ^c	0.36 ^c	1.27 ^a		0.75 ^b	0.46 ^c
Nerolidol	Rose, woody			60.24 ^a		0.81 ^b
Sesquisabinene	Balsamic, grassy, woody			0.23 ^b	0.62 ^a
α-elemol	Spicy, citrus, woody, resinous			0.33 ^b	14.74 ^a
α-bisabolol	Mild, floral, peppery, clean			3.24 ^a	3.36 ^a
α-cadinol	Herbal, woody			0.29 ^b	1.84 ^a
Linalool	Flowery, muscat				0.85
Torulosol	Tea, herbal				0.62
*Other compounds*
5-hidroxymethyl furfural	Aldehyde, caramel	0.18 ^b				0.75 ^a
Furfural	Sweet, fruit, floral, sweety	0.23

Instituto de Tecnologia de Alimentos - ITAL Av. Brasil, 2880, 13070-178 Campinas - SP / Brasil, Tel 55 19 3743-1762 - Campinas - SP - Brazil
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[1] *Corresponding Author: André Ricardo Alcarde, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Escola Superior de Agricultura “Luiz de Queiroz” (ESALQ), Departamento de Agroindústria, Alimentos e Nutrição, Av. Pádua Dias, 11, CEP: 13418-900, Piracicaba/SP - Brasil, e-mail: andre.alcarde@usp.br