Aroma Profile of Apple Spirits Fermented With non-Saccharomyces Yeasts and Their Dynamic Changes During Maturation

Abstract

Recently, non-Saccharomyces yeasts have gained considerable attention as a novel strategy to enhance the aroma diversity of alcoholic beverages. This study explores the effect of sequential fermentations involving Lachancea thermotolerans and Torulaspora delbrueckii on the aroma profile of apple spirits. Additionally, the influence of time, temperature, and alcohol content on the volatile composition during the maturation of distillates was described. The results revealed that distillates obtained from mixed cultures exhibited improved aroma complexity, primarily due to increased ester production. Torulaspora delbrueckii positively influenced the synthesis of 2-phenethyl acetate, diethyl succinate, and hexyl acetate. Lachancea thermotolerans promoted the formation of ethyl lactate, ethyl myristate, and ethyl phenylacetate while reducing the concentration of higher alcohols. During maturation, changes in aroma constituents were observed. In general, the concentration of the investigated volatile compounds tends to decrease during maturation, with this trend being strongly related to the alcohol content of the distillates. Temperature did not affect the variations of methanol, acetaldehyde, 1-propanol, 2-butanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, cis-2-hexen-1-ol, and diethyl succinate. Regarding esters, increases were observed in the concentration of ethyl octanoate, ethyl myristate, and, under certain circumstances, ethyl acetate and isoamyl acetate. No correlation was found between changes in acetaldehyde and the conditions tested.