Characterization of key aroma compounds in Gujinggong Chinese Baijiu by gas chromatography-olfactometry, quantitative measurements, and sensory evaluation

One of famous Chinese Baijiu, Gujinggong (GJG) that is produced in Anhui province, belongs to the famous Luzhou-aroma type of Baijiu in regards of its unique flavor characteristics. However, its key aroma-impact volatiles have not been clearly characterized. In this study, a total of 60 aroma compounds of GJG were identified by GC-O and GC-MS, and 35 of them were further recognized as important aroma compounds owing to their OAVs >= 1 and sensory evaluation. As a result, its aroma profile was successfully simulated by reconstitution of those 35 and other 11 aroma compounds based on their measured concentrations in the GJG. Moreover, omission test was applied to investigate the effects of the important aroma compounds on the whole aroma profile of GJG. In this context, 9 aroma compounds were confirmed as the key aroma compounds of GJG.