Volatilomic and Olfactometric Study of Rum Samples Produced by the Industria Licorera de Caldas

The study of rum evolution is essential to determine the distinctive properties of each variety. The Industria Licorera de Caldas (ILC) promotes research focused on the identification of aging markers in rums and tafias-the latter not produced by the ILC but aged in its oak barrels. These tafias serve as raw material for the production of representative rums such as Ron Viejo de Caldas Tradicional, Ron Viejo de Caldas Juan de la Cruz, Ron Viejo de Caldas Carta de Oro, and Ron Viejo de Caldas Gran Reserva Especial. This research aimed to perform a volatilomic and olfactometric study to characterize and differentiate tafias and rums aged at the ILC from other rum varieties currently available on the market. The olfactometric profile was obtained using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME), followed by olfactometry coupled to a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS-O). The volatilomic profile was determined through liquid injections in GC-MS, while aging markers were exclusively analyzed by liquid injection GC-MS. Aging markers identified included ethyl propanoate, isobutyl acetate, ethyl butyrate, hexanal, butyric acid, ethyl isovalerate, isovaleric acid, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl heptanoate, guaiacol, ethyl octanoate, trans-whiskey lactone, ethyl decanoate, syringaldehyde, eugenol, cis-whiskey lactone, vanillin, and ethyl dodecanoate. These compounds enable differentiation between rums aged by the ILC and those from external producers. The correlation of these compounds with the rum aging process, through volatilomic and olfactometric analyses, highlighted key chemical markers and their olfactory descriptors as differentiating criteria for identifying high-quality rums within the volatile profile characteristic of ILC-produced rums.