TOMOKO ISHIBIKI (1), Akira Wanikawa (1), Takeshi Sasamoto (1)
(1) Research Laboratories of Brewing Technology, Asahi Breweries, Ibaraki, Japan
We launched a beer to be served at –2°C last summer and received
favorable comments. Consumers reported that beer served at –2°C had a
greater sensation of carbonation and better foam quality in terms of it
being creamy and stable, and clear taste. However, consumers gave a
different evaluation of the same beer when it was served at different
temperatures. Why? From a physical viewpoint, stronger oral sensation is
attributed to higher apparent carbonation, and beer foam composed of
smaller and more bubbles will be creamier. Of taste factors, bitterness
does not change with temperature, but the intensity of astringency is
decreased at –2°C compared to that at 8°C, conferring less astringency
and clear taste, making the beer chilled to –2°C easier to drink. As
expected, flavor release was reduced at –2°C. Volatile compound
composition was analyzed in the headspace of solid-phase
microextractions by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The amount of
volatile compounds extracted at –2°C was significantly lower than that
at 8°C. In this study, we focused on the effect of temperature on flavor
release in the mouth at –2 and 8°C. A simulation of flavor sensation in
the nasal cavity and quantification of the volatile compounds was
carried out by a modification of Thomas’ method (1991) for breath
analysis. The number of volatiles detected at –2°C was lower than that
at 8°C, and the intensity of specific odors differed with temperature,
with greater concentrations of esters identified as ‘fruity’ or ‘citrus’
and lower concentrations of compounds identified as ‘sweet’ or ‘smoky’
at –2°C. These findings are consistent with the sensory characteristics
reported for the beer served at –2°C and suggest that beer flavor
profiles are temperature dependent.
Tomoko Ishibiki is a researcher at the Research Laboratories of
Brewing Technology, Asahi Breweries, Ltd. She graduated from the
Department of Home Economics (Dietician course) of Otusma Women’s
University Junior College in 1995. In the same year, she joined Asahi
Breweries, Ltd., working on brewing microbiology in the Department of
Brewing Science. From 2001 to 2008, she developed cider and shochu,
which is a clear, distilled Japanese spirit, in the Department of Wine
and Spirits. In 2009, she transferred to her present section, focusing
mainly on the analysis of flavor components.
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