IMPACT OF AGING WITH BALSAM AND JEQUITIBÁ “CHIPS” AS AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD: IMPACT ON THE CHEMICAL PROFILE OF CACHAÇAS

Aging is a crucial stage in the processing of cachaças, promoting chemical and sensory changes resulting from the interaction between the wood and the distillate. However, the process is traditionally time-consuming and costly due to the need to purchase barrels, creating a need for alternative methods, such as the use of wood “chips,” to accelerate the process. Given this, the objective of this study was to evaluate the chemical composition of cachaças aged with balsam and jequitibá wood chips, compared to cachaças aged in barrels. The alcoholic base and the cachaças were obtained from a sugarcane mill in Paraíba. The base was subjected to accelerated aging with the “chips” for 28 days. All samples were characterized for identity and quality parameters (GC-FID), total phenolic content, phenolic profile (HPLC), color intensity (spectrophotometry), instrumental color (colorimeter), and antioxidant activity using the FRAP, DPPH, and ABTS methods. The data were analyzed using Tukey’s test (p < 0.05) and evaluated via principal component analysis (PCA) and heat mapping. All cachaças had values within the limits established by Brazilian law. The highest levels of total phenolics and color intensity were observed in the barrel-aged samples, particularly those aged in balsam wood. The phenolic profile revealed that cachaças aged in barrels exhibit greater diversity of compounds, including a wide variety of flavonols. The cachaças aged with “chips” resulted in a more limited profile, yet they exhibited significant concentrations of aging markers and demonstrated significant antioxidant activity. It was concluded that, although barrels result in greater chemical complexity, the “chips” are effective in developing a relevant phenolic profile in a short period of time, proving to be an efficient method for the maturation of distillates.