Characterization of the key odorants and their content variation in Niulanshan Baijiu with different storage years using flavor sensory omics analysis

Niulanshan Baijiu (NLS) is a light-flavor Baijiu (LFB) with a long history. The aroma-active compounds in six NLSs with different storage years were analyzed using gas chromatography-olfactometry-mass spectrometry (GC-O-MS), coupled with Osme and aroma extraction dilution analysis (AEDA). A total of 59 odorants were identified, 5 odorants of them were, for the first time, identified as aroma-active compounds of LFB. After quantifying and calculating their odorant activity values (OAVs), 34 compounds had OAVs > 1, and the recombination and omission experiments further confirmed that ethyl acetate, ethyl acrylate, ethyl 2-methylbutyrate, γ-nonalactone, ethyl isovalerate, ethyl butyrate, isoamyl acetate, ethyl caprylate, ethyl valerate, 3-methylbutanal, β-damascenone, and geosmin have important contributions to the aroma of NLS. One-way ANOVA analysis further found that the contents of key odorants in NLS stored for four to five years were relatively stable. This study provides an important reference for product quality control in NLS.