Volatiles in Distillates of Cider Aged in American Oak Wood

A fast, reliable method is described for determining volatile components in distillates of different kinds of cider aged in oak wood. During aging, a significant increase was detected in the concentration of diethyl butanedioate, ethyl 3-methylbutanoate, esters of long-chain fatty acids, and 1-hexanol; in contrast, the acetate esters and long-chain fatty acids decreased. When cider made with traditional technology was used as raw material, spirits with higher concentrations of decanoic and dodecanoic ethyl esters and long-chain fatty acids were obtained. When cluster and factor analyses were employed, “natural” groupings among the spirits studied were obtained on the basis of the raw material used and aging time.