Chemical Characterization of Different Wood Fragments and Their Volatile Composition in Model Spirit Solutions

This study characterizes oak (sessile and pedunculate oak) and alternative wood (black locust, Myrobalan plum, wild cherry, and mulberry) species as important sources of volatile compounds of aged spirits. Nowadays, their fragments are used to hasten the brandies’ aging process. The ATR-FTIR spectra of analyzed wood samples are similar, only the mulberry FTIR spectrum contains unique peaks primarily due to its highest lignin content (40.93%). Using the untargeted GC-MS approach, a total of forty-one volatile compounds were identified in the wood extracts in a model spirit solution. The volatile profiles of alternative wood extracts in a model spirit solution were significantly different, both quantitatively and qualitatively, compared to those of oak. Coniferyl (23.14 μg/g—26.6 μg/g) and sinapyl (23.56 μg/g—25.82 μg/g) alcohols were the most abundant volatile compounds in investigated oak extracts. Resorcinol and coniferyl alcohol were the most abundant volatile compounds in black locust, sakuranin in wild cherry, while resorcinol and β-resorcinaldehyde in mulberry wood. To the best of our knowledge, sakuranin has not been detected in wild cherry wood until now. Besides wood chemical characteristics, the technology used during the aging process strongly influences on volatile profiles of aged brandies, thus, these compounds are potential chemical markers for discrimination between wood species as well as aging technologies.