Identification of green note compounds in malt whisky using multidimensional gas chromatography

Abstract

Abstract We studied green note compounds in malt whisky using multidimensional GC–MS–olfactometry (MDGC–MS–O). Two aldehydes and three alcohols were shown to contribute to the green note: E , Z ‐2,6‐nonenal and E ‐2‐nonenal, and 1‐octen‐3‐ol, 4‐hepten‐1‐ol and nonan‐2‐ol, respectively. Malt whiskies with high green note scores organoleptically contained more of the aldehydes and nonan‐2‐ol than those with low scores. This is the first time that E , Z ‐2,6‐nonadienal, 1‐octen‐3‐ol, and 4‐hepten‐1‐ol have been identified in malt whisky. These compounds are related to lipid oxidation and degradation, and formation may be due to the action of lipoxygenase. In addition, MDGC–MS–O was effective in examining small amounts of compounds in malt whisky, which contains many volatiles, since this method enables the volatiles in a complicated matrix to be highly resolved without the influence of large amounts of volatiles. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.