ANALYSIS OF VOLATILE COMPOUNDS IN DIFFERENT TYPES OF OAK BARREL USED IN THE AGING OF RUM

Abstract

It is well-known that during aging, several compounds are extracted from the oak barrels that have a positive influence on the sensory characteristics of the rum. The sensory improvement is the result of many transformations that take place among the rum distillate components and those of the oak wood. These involve reactions between constituents of the spirit, reactions between substances extracted from the wood and their oxidation, and reactions between the original compounds, extracted compounds, and those formed previously. For the aging of Cuban rum in oak barrels it has been necessary to import it and there are lots of barrels with the origin known, but others unknown. This paper analyzed the profile of oak volatile compounds of three lots coming from American, former Soviet Union and Yugoslavia and three lots of unknown origin. With maceration of oak chips with ethanol 55% v/v, extraction with dichloromethane and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, 126 volatiles compounds were determined including phenol derivatives (40), esters (28), acids (17), alcohols (11), terpenes (10), aldehydes and ketones (8), acetals (4), furanic derivatives (3), lactones (3), and others with different functions (2). A total of 70 compounds showed statistical differences and the principal component and discriminant analysis classified the six lots in four groups: American, former Soviet Union and former Yugoslavia origin in different groups, two unknown origin lots in the same group with Yugoslavian lot and a remaining lot of unknown origin in a separate group.