Design and flavor characteristics of autumn pear and almond Lujiu based on spring-type Baijiu

In order to understand the flavor substances of plant-based Lujiu using spring-type Baijiu as base liquor, the blending process of an autumn pear and almond Lujiu was optimized by single factor and orthogonal experiments. The volatile flavor compounds in the autumn pear and almond Lujiu were analyzed by HS-SPME-GC-MS, and the characteristic volatile flavor compounds were screened by relative aroma activity value (ROAV) and compared with the base liquor. The results showed that the optimal blending process of the Lujiu were as follows: almond extract 7%, Polygonatum odoratum extract 5%, wolfberry extract 6%, and autumn pear distillate 8%. Under the optimized condition, the aroma of autumn pear almond Lujiu was light and elegant, with prominent layers, a soft taste, and a full body, and the sensory score was 90 points. A total of 80 major volatile flavor compounds were detected in the autumn pear and almond Lujiu sample, including 25 characteristic flavour compounds. Compared with the base liquor, the numbers of newly increased esters, alcohols, acids, aldehydes, phenols, and ketones were 20, 7, 5, 5, 4 and 4, respectively. A total of 12 aroma components (ROAV≥10) of the base liquor constituted the aroma skeleton of the autumn pear and almond Lujiu, while benzaldehyde and isovaleraldehyde were the unique aroma- contributing compounds.