Style Characteristics Investigation of Quan-Xing Baijiu by Comparing Other Strong-Aroma Baijiu Brands in China

Quan-xing Baijiu, a famous brand with different style characteristics from traditional strong-aroma Baijiu, is considered superior due to its “jiao-xiang” (caramel) flavor and the “he-run” (soft, moistening, and harmonious) style. In this study, gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) was used to analyze the special flavors of Quan-xing Baijiu. The flavor fingerprints of six traditional strong-aroma Baijiu were determined using fragrance, taste, and entirety style in order to establish the individual style of Quan-xing Baijiu. The results indicated that 3-methyl butanol, ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl acetate, and ethyl caprylate were the main important aroma compound, which contributed to the he-run style in Quan-xing Baijiu. A standard of Quan-xing Baijiu’s typical style was established by flavor fingerprint. Together with the concordance rate evaluation method, this standard can help determine the characteristics of Baijiu samples for quality control. A rate above 81% represents a typical product staleness and good stability, while a rate below 73% represents a nontypical Quan-xing Baijiu product.