Characterisation of odour-active compounds in aged rum

The volatiles of rum matured in oak casks were carefully isolated by solvent extraction followed by solvent-assisted flavour evaporation. Among the 116 volatile compounds identified by GC-MS, seven of them were found for the first time in rum. Application of the aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) on the volatile fraction revealed 18 odour-active areas in the flavour dilution factor range of 32-1024. On the basis of the quantitative data and odour thresholds in 35% ethanol (v/v), the odour activity values (OAV; ratio of concentration to odour threshold) were calculated. Nineteen aroma compounds showed OAVs >1, among which ethanol, (E)-β-damascenone, ethyl butanoate, ethyl hexanoate, vanillin, (Z)-oak lactone, ethyl 2-methylpropanoate, 1,1-diethoxyethane, ethyl 2-methylbutanoate, 3-methylbutyl acetate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl decanoate, 2-phenylethyl acetate, 2-phenylethanol, 2-methoxyphenol, 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol, 4-propyl-2-methoxyphenol, γ-nonalactone, and eugenol showed the highest values and should be considered as the most odour-active compounds.