Abstract: Aroma compounds in 2 Scottish Macallan malt whisky and 2 Japanese Yamazaki malt whisky were analyzed by headspace solid phase microextraction combined with high-performance gas chromatography-mass spectrometry ( HS-SPME / GC-MS ). The results showed esters, acids, and alcohols were the highest relative mass fractions of volatile compounds in whisky, with a mass fraction over 90%. Based on odor activity values, 58 aroma compounds were screened from the 243 volatile compounds, which were identified in 4 whisky. Phenylethyl acetate, acacia alcohol, and trans orange blossom tert alcohol in Scotch Macallan whisky give a higher OAV, presenting obvious floral aroma. In contrast, Japanese Yamazaki whisky give obvious fruit aroma, because of the higher OAV for ethyl isovalerate, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, and 1-decanol identified in these whisky. Two-dimensional hierarchial clustering analysis on these whiskies suggested that typical aroma compounds in Yamazaki whisky were 2-methylbutyrate ethyl ester, butyrate ethyl ester, and isovalerate ethyl ester. The results were different from the ones in Macallan whisky, where acacia alcohol, trans-orangeol tert alcohol, and damastone were identified. Additionally, the principal component analysis on aroma compounds confirmed the unique aroma characteristics for each whisky. This study suggested flavor characteristics is an important index for the evaluation of different whiskies.

Key words: Single malt whisky, Headspace solid-phase microextraction/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, Aromas compounds, Two-dimensional hierarchial clustering analysis, Principal component analysis