Arbutus unedo spirit is a valuable product in Mediterranean countries. This spirit is usually
marketed in Portugal without wood ageing. This work aims to characterize the ageing effect on the
Arbutus unedo spirit, for three and six months with oak wood (Quercus robur L.) submitted to different
toasting levels, based on its chemical composition and its sensory properties. For this purpose,
several parameters were analysed: acidity, pH, dry extract, and volatile compounds (methanol,
acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate and fusel alcohols). The volatile compounds were identified by GC-MS
and quantified by GC-FID. Sensory analysis was performed by a trained panel, who have profiled
this beverage, as well as the changes acquired during ageing. Spectroscopic techniques, namely
FTIR–ATR, were applied to discriminate the different beverages produced. The results highlighted
an increase in Arbutus unedo spirit’s quality with the wood contact, mainly based on the sensory
attributes. Additionally, they showed that the best beverages were produced using oak wood with
medium toasting levels during three months of ageing info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
