Abstract: Hulless barley is used as the major raw material to produce a distinctive kind of distilled liquor and hulless barley grain quality plays an important role in the liquor’s quality. In this study, 26 hulless barley cultivars were selected as raw material to make liquor with Xiaoqu, a traditional Chinese liquor fermentation starter. The grain quality traits of hulless barley cultivars, the chemical composition of fermented grains and the yield and sensory quality of liquor were evaluated, and the relationship between them was investigated by principal component analysis (PCA) and path analysis. The results showed there were significant differences in the grain quality traits of the hulless barley cultivars tested. Among these cultivars, ‘F1’ and ‘Ganqing 6’ were the most suitable for making Xiaoqu liquor. A higher amylopectin content in hulless barley contributed to the complete fermentation of liquor and an increase in liquor yield, while the bulk density, 1 000-grain mass and flavonoid content of hulless barley were major factors affecting liquor brewing properties.

Key words: hulless barley; grain quality traits; liquor brewing properties; path analysis; principal component analysis