Chemical and sensory changes in fresh cider spirits during maturation in inert containers

BACKGROUND: Fresh cider spirits are alcoholic beverages mainly constituted by volatile compounds from apples that are formed during fermentation or generated during distillation. In this study the chemical and sensory changes that take place during the maturation of fresh cider spirits in inert containers made of stainless steel and glass were investigated. RESULTS: The type of container did not influence the maturation process for any of the studied compounds. Esterification, acetalisation and hydrolysis reactions occurred during the maturation of cider distillates over 24 months, giving rise to several changes in the original composition of this alcoholic beverage, but neither oxidation nor evaporation reactions were detected. A decrease in ethyl acetate, ethyl lactate, diethyl succinate and acetal was observed and an increase in fatty acid ethyl esters and 1,1,3-triethoxypropane. Likewise, the sensory evaluation of the spirits was significantly influenced by the maturation time, with matured samples obtaining higher scores than fresh ones. CONCLUSION: The presence of reactive compounds in recently distilled products makes a period of around 12 months of maturation advisable to reach equilibrium and to improve the sensory assessment of cider distillates consumed in the fresh state