Phenolic Compounds Found in Awamori

A procedure for the analysis of phenolic compounds in alcoholic beverages was developed by combining solid phase extraction technique and HPLC, and some phenolic compounds such as ferulic acid, vanillin, and vanillic acid were found in Japanese distilled spirits. Changes in the amount of phenolic compounds during the storage of shochu and awamori showed the decrease of ferulic acid, and the increase of vanillin and vanillic acid. Especially, significant amounts of vanillin, over 1 ppm, were found in aged awamori. From the sensory test, it was shown that the threshold level of vanillin in distilled spirit was about 0.2ppm, suggesting that vanillin is an important flavor compound in aged awamori (Kuusu).