Usage of FT-ICR-MS Metabolomics for Characterizing the Chemical Signatures of Barrel-Aged Whisky

Whisky can be described as a complex matrix integrating the chemical history from the fermented cereals, the wooden barrels, the specific distillery processes, aging, and environmental factors. In this study, using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) and liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), we analyzed 150 whisky samples from 49 different distilleries, 7 countries, and ranging from 1 day new make spirit to 43 years of maturation with different types of barrel. Chemometrics revealed the unexpected impact of the wood history on the distillate's composition during barrel aging, regardless of the whisky origin. Flavonols, oligolignols, and fatty acids are examples of important chemical signatures for Bourbon casks, whereas a high number of polyphenol glycosides, including for instance quercetin-glucuronide or myricetin-glucoside as potential candidates, and carbohydrates would discriminate Sherry casks. However, the comparison of barrel aged rums and whiskies revealed specific signatures, highlighting the importance of the initial composition of the distillate and the distillery processes.

• Publication year

  2018

• Venue

  Frontiers in Chemistry

• Publication date

  2018-02-22

• Fields of study

  Medicine, Chemistry, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.3389/fchem.2018.00029PMID 29520358PMCID 5827162
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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