Lignin-derived phenolic compounds in cachaça aged in barrels from tropical wood species

This study investigated the lignin-derived phenolic compounds in cachaça aged in barrels made from tropical woods. Cachaça was aged for 36 months in toasted new wooden barrels made from amburana (Amburana cearensis), cabreúva (Myrocarpus frondosus) and castanheira (Bertholletia excelsa). New barrels made from European oak (Quercus petraea) and American oak (Quercus alba) were also employed. Cinnamic aldehydes, benzoic aldehydes and benzoic acids were analysed at the end of the ageing time. A significant effect of wood species was observed on all the studied phenolic compounds. Syringaldehyde and the benzoic acids were the main low-molecular-weight compounds in aged cachaça. All the phenolic families under study were at higher concentrations in cachaça aged in amburana barrels. Cachaça aged in castanheira barrels displayed the highest ratio of gallic acid to vanillin, whereas that aged in cabreúva barrels exhibited the highest ratio of syringaldehyde to vanillin. Cachaça aged in barrels made from amburana had the highest sum of lignin-derived phenolic compounds, followed by cachaça matured in American oak and cabreúva barrels. Amburana showed a great potential to provide lignin-derived phenolic compounds to cachaça during ageing. Cachaça aged in oak barrels exhibited the highest contents of ethyl acetate and acetic acid, whereas the samples aged in European and American oak and amburana barrels reached the highest total score in sensory evaluation. The ageing process in new tropical wood barrels, singly or complementarily to oak, enhanced the flavour complexity of aged cachaça and broadened and diversified its taste and aroma profiles.