ABSTRACT
This chapter explores evolution of volatile contributions to the flavor of major distilled spirits as a function of the various processes that in turn create fermented extracts, produce distillates, and finally give rise to final products after finishing, through maturation, the addition of flavors and colors, and filtration. If an aroma molecule has a molecular weight much above 300–350 g/mol, it is unlikely to either satisfy any steric criteria required for satisfactory receptor binding and subsequent perception or to be of insufficient volatility to reach the receptors. In the broadest terms, the categories into which aroma volatiles can be classified are either spirit-based or functional group-based. In principle aroma compounds that are derived directly from raw materials themselves are a function of the variety and provenance of the raw materials, together with the conditions of processing. A major source of aroma in many foods and beverages is the thermal degradation of sugars in the presence or absence of amino nitrogen.
