Difference Analysis of Jiangxiang, Chuntian Typical Bodies in Multiple Rounds Sauce-flavor Baijiu Based on Electronic Nose and Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

To study the differences in flavor substances between the chuntian and jiangxiang typical bodies in sauce-flavored Baijiu, the flavor components of these typical bodies were analyzed using headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and an electronic nose. A total of 104 volatile compounds were identified by GC-MS, including aldehydes, ketones, esters, acids, alcohols, pyrazines, furans, terpenes, and other substances. Principal component analysis (PCA) using the electronic nose revealed notable differences between the chuntian and jiangxiang typical base liquor. From the partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) of 20 substances with an odor active value (OAV) greater than 1, nine substances with a variable importance projection (VIP) greater than 1 were selected to distinguish between the two typical samples. The results showed that the key flavor markers for the chuntian typical body liquor were ethyl isovalerate, ethyl butyrate, ethyl caproate, ethyl valerate, and ethyl nonanoate, which appeared in the third, fourth, and fifth rounds of chuntian typical body samples. In contrast, the flavor markers for the jiangxiang typical body liquor were phenylacetaldehyde, isovaleric acid, isovaleraldehyde, and isoamyl acetate, identified in the three rounds of the jiangxiang typical samples. This study provides both theoretical guidance and experimental foundations for the classification and identification of typical liquor samples, as well as scientific evidence for the design and blending of liquor body styles in sauce-flavored liquors. Additionally, it offers new directions for flavor innovation.