Researchers believe they have tracked down the source of whisky’s “mango-like” tropical taste.
Dr Calum Holmes, of Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, said it is good news for distilleries, as they can hopefully now “dial up or tone down tropical aromas” by manipulating existing process steps.
Working with Japanese drinks giant Kirin, researchers from the university uncovered some of the chemical compounds that contribute to the development of the mango-like aroma found in certain Scottish and Irish whiskies.
Professor Annie Hill, from Heriot-Watt’s international centre for brewing and distilling, said: “Fruity notes like banana, apple and pear have long been linked to esters, which are produced during fermentation.
“But we didn’t know where the mango flavour was coming from – and now we do.”
Takehiko Hiura, a PhD student at Heriot-Watt, analysed 14 whiskies from Scotland and Ireland and found aldehydes and acetals, compounds common in whiskies, can increase tropical aroma properties.
The study found one whisky contained particularly high levels of three key compounds: isobutyraldehyde, isovaleraldehyde and isovaleraldehyde diethyl acetal.
When the team spiked a whisky presenting as low for mango aroma with these chemicals, the fruity aroma increased substantially.
The research was recently reported in the Journal of the American Society of Brewing Chemists.