Comparative analysis of the aromatic profile of single malt whiskies from different regions of Scotland using GC-MS, GC-O-MS and sensory evaluation.

Single malt whiskies are popular around the world. The 37 esters, 10 alcohols, 10 phenols, 8 aldehydes, 8 acids, 6 alkanes, 4 ketones and 3 heterocycles were detected in the single malt whiskies extracted from different origins in Scotland by HS-SPME (headspace solid-phase microextraction) and LLE (liquid-liquid extraction) and identified by GC-MS (gas chromatography-mass spectrometry). QDA (quantitative descriptive analysis) combined with multivariate statistics were used to investigate the effects of the differential aroma-active compounds on the sensory aroma characteristics. O-cresol, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, 5-methylfurfural and propionic acid might influence the flavor of single malt whiskies of different origins in Scotland. The 54 key whisky aroma compounds were analyzed, with isoamyl acetate having the highest OAV (odour activity value) of all whisky samples. In addition, the aromas of volatile compounds were analyzed using OSME (odor-specific magnitude estimation) and OAV. Based on these facts, the researchers developed a flavour wheel with 10 aroma profiles. This paper evaluates Scotch single malt whisky from a Chinese perspective, which helps the development of the Chinese whisky market. [Display omitted] ● Analyzing different regions of single malt whiskies in Scotland. ● The main volatile aromatic compounds were identified in single malt whiskies. ● The OAV value of isoamyl acetate was the highest among the single malt whiskies. ● The researchers developed a flavour wheel with 10 aroma profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]