Chemical and Sensorial Aroma Characterization of Freshly Distilled Calvados. 1. Evaluation of Quality and Defects on the Basis of Key Odorants by Olfactometry and Sensory Analysis

Abstract

Eight freshly distilled samples of Calvados, a fermented and distilled apple juice, were analyzed by sensory evaluation and direct injection GC to determine the composition of higher alcohols, esters, and aldehydes. The composition determined by direct injection was tentatively related to sensory descriptors. Esters have a probable maximum level around 500 g/hl of pure alcohol (PA). This level also corresponds to the threshold of the main ester constituent, ethyl acetate. A high ratio of esters to ethyl acetate seems to be of prime importance for good quality. Total aldehydes, with a maximum level between 8 and 11 g/hl of PA and mainly comprising acetal (maximum between 5 and 9 g/hl of PA), were related to a "green" descriptor. Higher alcohols do not have a direct impact on quality, but other volatile compounds with a positive impact on flavor should probably be present at a high level. As overall quality was not well related to sensory quality, it was necessary to perform more a precise analysis to determine the key odorants. The Calvados samples were thus extracted using pentane. Gas chromatography, employing both a flame ionization detector and an olfactometry port, was used to analyze the obtained extracts. Seventy-one odors were detected and distributed according to Calvados quality determined by sensory evaluation. Nineteen odors common to all Calvados samples constituted the "skeleton" of the aroma. Twenty-eight odors were specific to a quality class: 6 for good quality, 4 for neutral, and 18 for defective. Twenty-four other odors had either too low an odor impact or no evident specificity.

Volatile composition of traditional and industrial Orujo spirits

“…Ethyl acetate is the major ester in the distilled alcoholic drinks (Nonato, Carazza, Silva, Carvalho, & de L. Cardeal, 2001). It is found mainly in the heads fraction, but, at times, due to its high concentration, it is found in the centres fraction in amounts sufficient to negatively influence the sensory quality of the spirit (Guichard, Lemesle, Ledauphin, Barillier, & Picoche, 2003). Studies performed by Silva, Malcata, and De Revel (1996) comparing Portuguese spirits with Galician demonstrate how in the Orujos the concentration of ethyl acetate is higher.…”

Volatile compounds profile and sensory evaluation of Beninese condiments produced by inocula of Bacillus subtilis

“…The odour, texture, flavour and colour attributes of ABS1 24h , IBS2 48h and SBS3 48h were evaluated and compared to those of the spontaneously fermented condiments (afitin, iru and sonru) by smell, touch, taste and visual appearance, respectively. For the test we used modifications of the methods described by Omafuvbe et al 16 and Guichard et al, 22 as follows.…”

Temporality of perception during the consumption of French grape brandies with different aging times in relation with aroma compound release

“…[2,3] Most investigations on distilled beverage aromas in the literature have proposed to dissociate sensory properties by specifically linking aromatic notes to one or more chemical compounds, mainly using olfactory techniques. [4,5] However, to our knowledge, the characterization of the overall perception during the entire consumption has not often been considered in the case of distilled beverages and still remains unclear. [6,7] One reason could be that the sensory evaluation of alcoholic beverages is generally perceived as a difficult task, mainly due to the aromatic complexity of the products and to their high level of ethanol, which could lead to numerous sensory interactions between aromas, tastes and trigeminal sensations.…”