Brazilian cachaças (115 samples; 73 samples derived from distillation in copper pot stills, 42 samples derived from distillation in stainless steel columns), collected directly at the producers, were analyzed for the contents of 34 constituents by chromatography, inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry, and atomic absorption spectrometry. The analytical data were subjected to principal component analysis (PCA) and linear discriminant analysis (LDA). The PCA treatment led to discrimination of the two groups of cachaças, explaining 65.0% of the database variance. Using LDA and ethanal, ethyl carbamate, dimethyl sulfide, isobutyl alcohol, n-propanal, copper, ethyl acetate, and phenylmethanal as chemical descriptors, a model was developed that presented 95.1% accuracy in predicting the type of distillation apparatus.

A total of 25 sugarcane spirit extracts of six different Brazilian woods and oak, commonly used by cooperage industries for aging cachac -a, were analyzed for the presence of 14 phenolic compounds (ellagic acid, gallic acid, vanillin, syringaldehyde, synapaldehyde, coniferaldehyde, vanillic acid, syringic acid, quercetin, trans-resveratrol, catechin, epicatechin, eugenol, and myricetin) and two coumarins (scopoletin and coumarin) by HPLC-DAD-fluorescence and HPLC-ESI-MS n . Furthermore, an HPLC-DAD chromatographic fingerprint was build-up using chemometric analysis based on the chromatographic elution profiles of the extracts monitored at 280 nm. Major components identified and quantified in Brazilian wood extracts were coumarin, ellagic acid, and catechin, whereas oak extracts shown a major contribution of catechin, vanillic acid, and syringaldehyde. The main difference observed among oak and Brazilian woods remains in the concentration of coumarin, catechin, syringaldehyde, and coniferaldehyde. The chemometric analysis of the quantitative profile of the 14 phenolic compounds and two coumarins in the wood extracts provides a differentiation between the Brazilian wood and oak extracts. The chromatographic fingerprint treated by multivariate analysis revealed significant differences among Brazilian woods themselves and oak, clearly defining six groups of wood extracts: (i) oak extracts, (ii) jatobá extracts, (iii) cabreúva-parda extracts, (iv) amendoim extracts, (v) canela-sassafrás extracts and (vi) pequi extracts.

Recebido em 23/10/08; aceito em 16/3/09; publicado na web em 31/8/09 SENSORY EVALUATION OF CACHAÇA. The hedonic level of commercial cachaças, was evaluated by consumers and by a tasters. The results of sensorial methods analyzed trough Principal Components Analysis, Hierarchical Cluster Analysis and the Pearson linear correlation indicated that the best classified cachaças were produced in copper stills and aged in oak casks. By contrast the worst classified exhibited as the main features be not aged and high alcohol percentage. The index of preference is positively correlated with the intensity of yellow color, wood flavor, sweetness and fruit aroma. There is a negative preference correlation with the acidity, the taste of alcohol and bitterness.Keywords: cachaça; sensory analysis; hedonic level. INTRODUÇÃOA cachaça, destilado do vinho obtido a partir do mosto fermentado de cana-de-açúcar, gerou uma receita de US$ 14,4 milhões em 2007.1 Este valor tende a aumentar em virtude dos esforços para a sua comercialização no exterior e da denominação de origem que classificou a cachaça como sendo um produto típico do Brasil pelo Decreto nº. 4062 A cachaça é muito apreciada por seu sabor e aroma característicos, que são decorrentes dos processos de fermentação, destilação e envelhecimento em tonéis de madeira, sendo denominada cachaça envelhecida a bebida que contiver no mínimo 50% de aguardente de cana envelhecida em barris de madeira, por um período não inferior a 1 ano, podendo ser adicionada de caramelo para a correção da cor. 14 Claramente impulsionado pela necessidade de conquista do mercado externo, existe um esforço do setor produtivo e dos laboratórios de pesquisa para a melhoria da qualidade da cachaça. A descrição qualitativa e quantitativa dos compostos químicos presentes em cachaça tem recebido constante atenção por parte de diversos Laboratórios. No entanto, a caracterização da cachaça somente sobre o ponto de vista químico, apesar de extremamente relevante, não é suficiente, necessitando ser complementada pelo conhecimento dos atributos sensoriais da bebida.A definição das substâncias de impacto sensorial que compõem uma bebida destilada é fundamental no monitoramento da produção, na modificação de suas características e para o controle de sua qualidade. A correlação entre os componentes responsáveis pelo aroma, sabor e aspecto visual com a qualidade da bebida são objetos da análise sensorial. Essa continua sendo a principal forma de avaliar a aceitação das mesmas pela percepção humana.

and copper in 380 samples of sugar-cane spirit and 45 samples of manioc spirit as determined by GC-MS and FAAS respectively. The cyanide content determined spectrophotometrically is reported for the manioc spirit. Sugar cane spirit produced by alembic distillation (70,0 μg L -1 ) shown a lower content of EC than samples produced by column distillation (270 μg L -1 ). No simple correlation between the content of EC and copper for sugar cane spirit as well among the concentration of EC, copper, and cyanide for manioc spirit could be observed.