title: Characterisation of whiskeys using solid-phase microextraction with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
abstract: The application of solid-phase microextraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to the detection of flavour volatiles present in Irish and Scottish whiskeys was investigated. A method was developed to characterise these volatiles which included the extraction, identification and quantification of 17 congeners which included fusel alcohols, acetates and esters. The method validation produced the optimum fibre [85 microm poly(acrylate)], extraction time (35 min), sample volume size (3 ml) and desorption time (5 min). The impact of salt on the absorption process was also studied. Characteristic profiles were determined for each whiskey and the flavour congeners were quantified using 4-methyl-2-pentanol as the internal standard. Calibration ranges were determined for each of the congeners with coefficients of linearity ranging from 0.993 (butan-1-ol) to 0.999 (ethyl laurate) and relative standard deviations ranging from 2.5% (2-methylbutan-1-ol) to 21% (furfural) at a concentration of 18.2 mg/l. Detection limits ranged from 0.1 mg/l (ethyl caprate) to 21 mg/l (butan-2-ol).
authors.affiliation: Chemistry Department, Cork Institute of Technology, Bishopstown, Ireland.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fitzgerald
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: James
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: MacNamara
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Stack
mesh_terms: D000434:Alcoholic Beverages / Q000032:analysis*; D002138:Calibration; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity