1. The origin of liquor aroma
The style of liquor is composed of three major elements: excellence, aroma and taste. It is reasonable to classify wines according to their aroma categories. When we talk about the aroma of wine in our daily life, we all talk about liquor. As for other colored wines and wines, why are they not classified according to their fragrance? Because colored wines, such as wine, have a complete set of regulations in the West, which strictly regulate everything from raw materials to processes. And indicate it on the trademark so that consumers can identify it. Therefore, countries around the world adopt or learn from its methods for management.
Liquor is a traditional and unique product of our country. The brewing techniques are rich and colorful, and the wine styles produced are varied. In order to strengthen management, improve quality, learn from each other, make evaluations, and combine my country's national conditions, a more systematic study was conducted on the aroma of Chinese liquor in the mid-1960s. Through the analysis of the aroma components in the wine, the relationship between aroma components and technology was research and approved by the winemaking industry and experts. In 1979, the Third National Wine Appraisal Conference implemented the evaluation by aroma type. Since then. The aroma of liquor has been accepted by the majority of domestic consumers.
2. Classification of liquor aroma types
The aroma types of liquor are divided into five types: rich aroma, sauce aroma, strong aroma, light aroma, rice aroma and others Fragrance type. At present, it is not possible to provide qualitative and quantitative data to explain the classification of its chemical components and liquor aroma types, and there is no final conclusion.
3. Fragrant-flavor liquor
Fragrant-flavor liquor is represented by Jiugui Liquor, which is characterized by “clear and transparent color, fragrant aromas, sweet entrance, mellow and full aroma, Harmonious, long aftertaste, with the typical style of "rich aroma" and the unique taste characteristics of "strong in the front, clear in the middle, and sauce in the back". Jiugui Liquor is the essence of Xiangxi's traditional national wine. It uses Yunwu glutinous sorghum and fragrant glutinous rice as raw materials, selects spring water from the three eyes of dragon, phoenix and animal that penetrates the stone, uses aged Daqu and special medicinal koji as saccharifying agent, adopts traditional folk unique technology, and is carefully brewed for more than three years. Become.
4. Maotai-flavor liquor
Maotai-flavor liquor is so named because it has a sauce-like aroma similar to that of beans during fermentation. Because it originated from the Moutai liquor process, it is also called Maoxiang type. This kind of wine is elegant and delicate, full-bodied, rich and has a long aftertaste. Of course, the aroma of soy sauce is not the same as the aroma of soy sauce. From the composition analysis, the content of various aromatic substances in Maotai-flavor wine is relatively high, and there are many types and rich aromas. It is a complex of multiple aromas. This kind of fragrance is divided into front fragrance and back fragrance. The so-called front aroma is mainly composed of alcohols, esters, and aldehydes with low boiling points, which play the role of aroma. The so-called back aroma is composed of high-boiling acidic substances, which play a major role in the aroma and are the components of the fragrance in an empty cup. substance. Moutai is the model for this type of flavor. According to domestic research data and instrumental analysis, its aroma contains more than 100 trace chemical components. When opening the bottle, you first smell the elegant and delicate fragrance, which is the top aroma; then you smell the aroma of sauce, mixed with the sweet aroma of roasting. After drinking, there is still a smell of vanillin and rose in the empty cup. It has an elegant fragrance that will not disappear for 5-7 days. It is known as the fragrance in an empty cup. This is the after-scent. The first fragrance and the second fragrance complement each other, blending in and out, making it outstanding.
In addition to Moutai, among the national famous wines are Guihai wine and Sichuan Langjiu, which are also famous domestic Maotai-flavor liquors. Guizhou's Xijiu, Huaijiu, Zhenjiu, Qianchun Liquor, Yinianchun Liquor, Jinhuchun, Zhuchun Liquor, Guichangchun, etc. are also Maotai-flavor liquors.
5. Luzhou-flavor liquor
Luzhou-flavor liquor has a rich aroma, represented by Luzhou Laojiao Liquor in Sichuan, so it is also called "Lu-flavor liquor". This type of liquor has the characteristics of rich cellar aroma, sweetness and cleanness. Its main fragrance ingredients are ethyl hexanoate and ethyl butyrate. The ethyl hexanoate content of Luzhou cellar wine is dozens of times higher than that of light-flavor liquor, and about ten times higher than that of Maotai-flavor liquor. It also contains glycerol, which makes the wine sweet and sweet. Wine contains organic acids, which play a role in coordinating the taste. The organic acids of strong-flavor liquor are mainly acetic acid, followed by lactic acid and caproic acid. In particular, the content of caproic acid is several times higher than that of other flavor liquors. Liquor also contains aldehydes and higher alcohols. Among aldehydes, acetal is higher and is the main component of fragrance. In addition to Luzhou Laojiao, Wuliangye, Gujing Gongjiu, Shuanggou Daqu, Yanghe Daqu, Jiannanchun, Quanxing Daqu, Langpai Tequ, etc. are all strong-flavor types. Guizhou’s Yaxijiao Liquor, Xishui Daqu, and Guiyang Daqu , Anjiu, Fengrongjiao Liquor, Jiulongye Liquor, Bijie Daqu, Guiguanjiao Liquor, Chishui Touqu, etc. are also strong-flavor liquors. Guizhou has many varieties of strong-flavor brand-name liquor.
6. Light-flavor liquor
Fragrance-flavor liquor is fragrant, sweet and refreshing. It is a traditional Laobaigan style, represented by Fenjiu in Xinghua Village, Shanxi, so it is also called "Fen-flavor type". Its characteristics are: pure fragrance, coordinated flavors, and refreshing aftertaste. Its main aroma components are ethyl acetate and ethyl lactate. In terms of ester content, it is lower than the strong-flavor and sauce-flavor types, and highlights ethyl acetate, but the ratio of ethyl lactate to ethyl acetate coordination. In addition, Baofeng Liquor and Special Huanghelou Liquor are also light-flavor liquors. There are not many manufacturers of light-flavor liquors in Guizhou.
7. Rice-flavored liquor
Before 2000, rice-flavored liquor was represented by Guilin Sanhua Liquor. After 2000, it was represented by "Bingyu Manor" rice puree liquor. It is characterized by its elegant honey aroma, soft entrance, refreshing mouth finish and pleasant aftertaste. Its main flavor components are β-phenylethyl alcohol and ethyl lactate. In Guilin Sanhua Liquor, this ingredient is as high as 3 grams per 100 milliliters. It has the elegant aroma of roses and is the raw material for edible rose essence. Judging from the fat content, rice-flavored wine only contains ethyl lactate and ethyl acetate, and basically does not contain other esters. This is one of the characteristics of rice-flavor liquor. Quanzhou Xiangshan wine also belongs to this aroma type.
8. Other aromatic wines
Other aromatic liquors, except for the several aromatic types introduced above, all belong to other aromatic types. Some liquors have unique flavor definitions and main aroma components that need to be further determined due to their unique craftsmanship and unique style, or they are mainly one type of liquor with other aroma types included. Dongjiu is a typical representative of this type of wine. Its style features are: fragrant aroma, comfortable medicinal aroma, mellow sweetness, and refreshing aftertaste. Its main aroma components are also ethyl acetate and ethyl lactate, followed by ethyl butyrate. Its medicinal aroma is mainly cinnamic aldehyde. In terms of taste, due to its high acid content and proportion of butyric acid, it has a special flavor with the aroma of fermented bean curd. Because of its specific style, it is called Dong-flavor type. In addition, the famous Xifeng liquor also belongs to other aroma-flavor liquors, which is its own representative) and sesame-flavor liquor (represented by Shandong Jingzhi liquor), which will float out from other aroma liquors and become an independent flavor. , wine types. Among the famous Guizhou wines that are more familiar in China, "Lutou Sauce", in addition to Dong Jiu, Pingbajiao Liquor, Yunjiu Liquor, Zhuchangjiao Liquor, Jinshajiaosa, Quanjiu, Shanyue Laojiao, etc. all use the Daqujiu process, and their products Have their own unique fragrance and style, all belong to other fragrance types.