Effect of cider maturation on the chemical and sensory characteristics of fresh cider spirits

The influence of cider maturation on the chemical and sensory characteristics of fresh cider spirits was evaluated in the present study. To this end, a single-factor experiment with three maturation levels and five replicates (ciders) per level was developed. Level 1 corresponded to spirits obtained when alcoholic and malolactic fermentation of the ciders ceased, Level 2 corresponded to spirits obtained from ciders with a volatile acidity of 1.0 g/L acetic acid, while Level 3 corresponded to spirits made from ciders with a volatile acidity of 1.5 g/L acetic acid. Cider maturation significantly influenced the composition of the spirit as regards the ethyl esters of the major organic acids of cider (lactic, acetic and succinic). It also significantly influenced the content of aromas produced by bacterial activity (2-butanol, 2-propen-1-ol, 4-ethylguaiacol and eugenol), the concentration of which was found to increase with higher levels of maturation. The attributes “spicy” and “sweetness” were likewise influenced by the level of cider maturation. The distillates made from the most matured cider (volatile acidity 1.5 g acetic acid/L) scored better for “odour quality”.