Determination of aroma profile of grape brandies applying GC-FID technique

The GC-FID technique was applied to analyze the aroma profile in 52 grape brandies from various varieties, produced in domestic conditions in the Republic of N. Macedonia. The following compounds have been identified and quantified in the samples: acetaldehyde, 1butanol, isobutanol, hexanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, methanol, 1-propanol, 2-phenylethanol, ethyl acetate, ethyl lactate, isoamyl acetate and propyl acetate. Separation of the
compounds was performed on an HP 6890 N gas chromatograph (Agilent Technologies, Palo Alto, CA, USA) using the column ZB WAX (30 m x 320 µm x 1 µm). The applied temperature program was as follows: 40 °C 1 min., ramp 4 °C/min., final temperature 184 °C, total time 37 min. Ethyl acetate was the dominant compound within the group of esters. Among the alcohols, 1-propanol (which serves as an indicator of contamination) and 2-methyl-1-butanol (which contributes to a fruity aroma) were present in relatively
high amounts. Moreover, 2-methyl-1-butanol was the most prevalent compound in the aromatic Temjanika grape brandy.