A produção de aguardente de cana e de cachaça no Brasil atinge 1,5 bilhões de litros anuais, representando 87% da produção nacional de bebidas alcoólicas destiladas. O consumo médio per capita do brasileiro é de 9,4 L/ano. O setor emprega cerca de 450 mil trabalhadores e movimenta internamente US$ 1,0 bilhão por ano.A aguardente de cana possui uma graduação alcoólica de 38 a 54% em volume, a 20 °C. É obtida de destilado alcoólico simples de cana-de-açúcar (Saccharum officinarum L.) ou pela destilação do mosto fermentado de cana-de-açúcar. Destilado alcoólico simples de cana-de-açúcar é o produto obtido pelo processo de destilação simples ou por destilo-retificação parcial
AbstractThis study evaluated some aspects of the chemical composition and sensorial acceptance of sugar cane spirit aged for 3 years in casks of different types of wood (peanut wood, araruva or striped wood, red cabreuva, oak, cherrywood, Brazilian gold wood, purple tabebuia, cariniana legalis, and pear tree). The simple alcoholic distillate which originated the sugar cane spirit was produced at the Distillery of ESALQ/USP. After aging, the sugar cane spirits were analyzed in terms of ethanol concentrations o, volatile acidity, furfural, aldehydes, esters, higher alcohols, methanol, copper, total phenolic compounds, color, and sensorial acceptance. Regardless the type of wood the casks were made of, the aged sugar cane spirits became darker and presented higher concentrations of volatile acidity, furfural, esters, higher alcohols, congeners, and total phenolic compounds than the simple alcoholic distillate. On the other hand, the aged sugar cane spirits presented lower concentrations of aldehydes, methanol, and copper than the simple alcoholic distillate. The statistical analysis, considering the global physicochemical composition of the sugar cane spirits aged in the casks made of different types of wood, showed similarities among the sugar cane spirits aged in the casks of peanut wood, araruva or striped wood, and cariniana legalis. It also indicates similarities among the sugar cane spirits aged in the casks of red cabreuva and pear tree and among the sugar cane spirits aged in the casks of oak, cherrywood, Brazilian gold wood, and purple tabebuia. The sugar cane spirits aged in the casks of the different types of wood were in accordance with the composition and quality standards established by the Brazilian laws. The sugar cane spirit aged in oak presented the best sensorial acceptance. Among the Brazilian woods, purple tabebuia, peanut wood, red cabreuva, cherrywood and pear tree were those that produced sugar cane spirits with better sensorial qualities. Keywords: composition; sugar cane spirit; aging; woods.
ResumoEste trabalho determinou aspectos da composição química e aceitação sensorial da aguardente de cana-de-açúcar envelhecida por 3 anos em tonéis de diferentes madeiras (amendoim, araruva, cabreúva, carvalho, cerejeira, grápia, ipê-roxo, jequitibá e pereira). O destilado alcoólico simples que originou a aguardente foi produzido na...