Characterization of the potent odorants in Tibetan Qingke Jiu by sensory analysis, aroma extract dilution analysis, quantitative analysis and odor activity values

Tibetan Qingke Jiu is the most important alcoholic beverage in the daily life of Tibetan people due to its unique flavor and rich nutrients. In this study, the aromatic characteristics of Qingke Jiu were studied by sensory analysis, aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA), quantitative analysis, and odor activity values (OAVs). Sensory evaluation demonstrated that Qingke Jiu had fruity, cooked potato, honey, sour, sweet, and caramel-like aroma. A total of 66 aroma compounds were identified by AEDA and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, with flavor dilution (FD) factors ranging from 4 to 2048. Among them, methional, acetic acid, ethyl butanoate, phenylacetaldehyde and beta-phenylethanol appeared with the highest FD factors. The concentration of these aroma-active compounds was further quantitated by combination of four different quantitative measurements, and 17 odorants had concentrations higher than their odor thresholds. Based on the OAVs, phenylacetaldehyde, beta-phenylethanol, ethyl phenylacetate, sotolon, furaneol, methional, methionol, gamma-nonalactone, ethyl 2-methyl-butanoate, beta-damascenone, ethyl 3-methylbutanoate, ethyl acetate, ethyl butanoate, and acetic acid could be potentially important to the overall aroma profile of Qingke Jiu.