A Comparative Study of the Important Aroma Components of Brandy and Rum

The similarities and differences in the aroma composition of brandy and rum products and the effect of aging time on the aroma composition are one of the important issues of concern to international spirits production and consumption. In this study, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was used to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the aroma compounds of rum and brandy from three different aging times, respectively. A total of 50 compounds with OAV > 1 were detected in brandy and rum, of which 20 were esters, 8 alcohols, 6 acids, 11 aldehydes and ketones, and 5 phenols. The results of the analysis showed that linalool, 3-methylpentanoic acid, guaiacol, ethyl caprylate, lauric acid and hexanol were significantly different between brandy and rum, while 18 compounds, including caprylic acid, ethyl caproate and ethyl caproate, were not significantly different between the two categories of distilled spirits. Ageing time had a significant effect on ethyl caproate and whisky lactone in brandy and ethyl palmitate in rum. Compounds such as ethyl caprylate, ethyl lactate, isoamyl acetate, and ethyl caprate in brandy and ethyl caprylate, ethyl caproate, genistein, and foliol in rum were less affected by different aging times.