Physical–Chemical Profile and Quantification of Phenolic Compounds and Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Cachaça Samples Aged in Oak (Quercus sp.) Barrels with Different Heat Treatments

Correlation of the presence of acrolein with higher alcohols, glycerol, and acidity in cachaças

“…According to Barbosa, Santiago, et al. (2022), substances are extracted during the period of storage in wooden barrels, and they are incorporated into the cachaça. Phenolic compounds, for example, contribute to the increase of the dry extract in the beverages.…”

“…They are associated with the process of storing cachaça in wooden barrels. During the storage period, phenolic compounds can be incorporated into the beverage through mechanisms of lignin degradation or direct extraction of these compounds previously formed in the wood, which explains their higher concentration in beverages that have undergone the aging process (Barbosa, Santiago, et al., 2022; Carvalho et al., 2020).…”

“…Aged and stored beverages that contain high concentrations of phenolic compounds and low concentrations of glycerol can indicate that, at some point during storage, glycerol was extracted from the wood, but this compound was degraded to produce other substances. In addition, some phenolic compounds can react with acrolein to reduce its bioavailability in cachaça/spirits and produce unpleasant flavors (Barbosa, Santiago, et al., 2022; Bauer, Cowan, et al., 2010; Lago & Walke, 2019; Rodrigues et al., 2016; D. Zhang et al., 2020). Phenolic compounds and glycerol were also considered for further investigation.…”

“…Phenolic compounds can act as markers of the aging process, and they can indicate an increase in glycerol at this stage. This glycerol can be degraded during storage to produce acrolein and other compounds, depending on environmental conditions such as temperature and the composition of the beverage, such as acid concentration (Figure 1) (Abdullah et al., 2022; Barbosa, Santiago, et al., 2022; Rodrigues et al., 2016; Y. Wang et al., 2019; Xu et al., 2021). It can be seen in Tables 1 and 2 that the sample AA13, stored in a wooden barrel, contained the highest concentration of phenolic compounds (130.43 ± 4.95 mg L −1 ) and also the highest concentration of acrolein (19.19 ± 0.40 mg 100 mL −1 aa).…”

Synergy of physicochemical reactions occurred during aging for harmonizing and improving flavor

“…Micro-oxygenation refers to the simulation of microenvironment of oak barrel aging ( Curko et al, 2021 ; Granja-Soares et al, 2020). Oak products are designed to simulate the oak extraction function of oak barrel aging process ( Barbosa et al, 2022 , Martinez-Gil et al, 2020 ). External energy aging methods including ultrahigh pressure, pulsed electric fields, ultrasound fields, microwave fields and irradiation treatments.…”