Aromatically enhanced pear distillates from blanquilla and conference varieties using a packed column

Area of Science:

• * Food Science and Technology
• * Distillation and Sensory Analysis

Background:

• * Pear distillates are typically made from the aromatic Bartlett variety.
• * Exploring alternative pear varieties and distillation methods is crucial for diversifying spirit production.

Purpose of the Study:

• * To chemically and sensorially compare pear distillates from Bartlett, Blanquilla, and Conference varieties.
• * To evaluate the impact of two distillation systems (copper Charentais alembic and packed column) on distillate profiles.
• * To determine if less aromatic pear varieties can yield distillates with Bartlett-like characteristics.

Main Methods:

• * Gas chromatography (GC) was used for volatile compound identification.
• * Sensory analysis was conducted by a trained panel.
• * Comparative chemical and sensory evaluations were performed on distillates from three pear varieties and two distillation systems.

Main Results:

• * Bartlett distillates showed higher concentrations of ethyl esters and acetates, and lower concentrations of cis-3-hexen-1-ol and 1-hexanol.
• * A sensory panel could differentiate Bartlett alembic distillates from others, but not packed column distillates.
• * Packed column distillation resulted in similar sensory profiles across different pear varieties.

Conclusions:

• * Distillation method significantly influences the aromatic profile of pear distillates.
• * Less aromatic pear varieties, like Blanquilla and Conference, can produce distillates with comparable aromatic qualities to Bartlett using appropriate distillation techniques.
• * This research offers a pathway to expand the range of pear varieties used in distillate production without compromising sensory quality.