Abstract
Ume (Japanese apricot) liquor is produced from spirits, sugar and varieties of middle size Ume fruits. To examine the flavor qualities of Ume liquor prepared from varieties of small size fruits “Koume” which are generally used for “Umezuke” and “Umeboshi” (pickled Ume), we analyzed the aroma constituents, organic acids and total phenol contents in Koume liquor. Koume liquors were prepared from fruit materials harvested at immature, mature and over-mature stages of development, respectively, and aged for one year. By application of an aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) on each aroma concentrate of Ume liquors, total 17 peaks on gas chromatograms were detected in the flavor dilution (FD) factor range of 2 to 256. Those high FD factors revealed the following compounds as odor-active odorants in Ume liquor aroma, ethyl 2-methylbutanoate (fruity), benzaldehyde (processed Ume-like), phenylacetaldehyde (rose-like), vanillin (vanilla-like), γ-decalactone (fruity), δ-decalactone (peach-like), and γ-undecalactone (peach-like). Koume liquor prepared from over-mature fruit possessed a sweeter aroma caused by lactone compounds than other Koume liquors and a commercial Ume liquor produced from middle size fruit, however, odor-active odorants of four liquors were very similar. The contents of citric acid and malic acid in Koume liquors were influenced by those of fruit materials. The liquors prepared from immature and over-mature fruits had higher total phenol contents than commercial one. The results of sensory evaluation of three Koume liquors and commercial one suggested that these liquors were similar in the aroma and taste except of astringency. Overall, flavor of Koume liquor was acceptable as well as that of Ume liquor prepared from middle size fruit.
