Bourbon whiskeys are typically aged between two and 23 years in newly charred White American Oak (Quercus alba) barrels. During whiskey maturation, the wood composition is transformed, resulting in new volatile compounds being added to the wood. The interaction of the freshly charred barrel with distillate, which contains compounds from the fermentation, results in volatile compounds that give bourbon its unique flavor. There is increasing interest in using used bourbon whiskey barrels to age other beverages such as wine and beer. Understanding the chemical and physical properties of barrels during aging may prove informative for producers wishing to enhance quality. To determine the volatile fingerprint in charred oak barrels during aging, we performed pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (PYR-GC-MS) and high-performance liquid chromatographic analyses. Data illustrated numerous flavor notes that contribute to bourbon whiskey.

Funding Support: NSF EPSCoR