Characterization of key sulfur aroma compounds and enantiomer distribution in Yingjia Gongjiu

Abstract

Yingjia Gongjiu (YJGJ), as a strong-aroma-type baijiu, is popular among consumers due to its unique fruity flavor. However, previous research on the aroma characteristics of YJGJ mostly focused on its main aroma components, namely the esters, therefore, the present work was the first to study the aroma characteristics of YJGJ from the perspective of sulfur-containing compounds. A total of 12 sulfur-containing compounds were identified. Among them, 4-methyl-4-mercapto-2-pentanone, 2-methyl-3-furanthiol, 3-mercaptohexyl acetate, dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, and methional were among the key contributors to the aroma of YJGJ. Meanwhile, 14 enantiomers were identified. Among them, (R)-(−)-3-mercaptohexyl acetate, (R)-(−)-3-mercapto-2-butanone, (R)-(−)-2-octyl butanoate, (S)-(+)-2-octyl butanoate, (R)-(−)-1-octen-3-ol, (R)-(−)-ethyl 2-methylbutanoate and (R)-(−)-phenylethyl 2-methylbutanoate made an important contribution to the aroma of YJGJ. This research may provide an important theoretical basis for the quality improvement and quality identification of YJGJ and other strong-aroma-types of baijiu.