Separation and characterization of sweet compounds in Baijiu by molecular distillation combined with molecular sensory science

Sweetness is a crucial taste component in Baijiu. However, comprehensive research on the sweetness of Baijiu remains limited, and traditional methods for flavor analysis are not well-suited for identifying the sweet compounds. To address this, a multi-stage molecular distillation method, combined with molecular sensory science, was developed to more effectively and scientifically analyze the key sweet compounds in Baijiu. The recovery rates of samples and compounds were 93.8 % ~ 98.3 % and 81.6 % ~ 118.3 %. 15 important compounds with a taste dilution factor (TD) value ≥64 were identified through gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) combined with taste dilution analysis (TDA). By calculating their taste activity values (TAV), 10 primary sweet compounds with TAV ≥1 were determined. Further taste recombination and omission experiments confirmed that ethyl hexanoate, ethyl heptanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, 1-butanol, phenethyl alcohol, and ethyl acetate contribute significantly to Baijiu's sweetness and are identified as the key sweet compounds.