whitepaper

Determining phenols in whisky by SBSE-GC/MS & LVI-GC/MS

It is well known and documented that phenolic compounds contribute significantly to the smoky and peaty flavour notes of whisky…

Critical compounds are: Phenol, cresols (o-/p-/m-cresol), xylenols, ethylphenols and guaiacol, their concentrations are routinely determined as quality markers. Stir Bar Sorptive Extraction (SBSE) using the EG-Silicone Twister® and Large Volume Injection (LVI)-GC/MS were applied for the determination of phenolic compounds in Scotch Whisky. Target compound LODs range from 1.2 ng/mL (guaiacol) to 6.9 ng/mL (4-ethylguaiacol) for SBSE and from 90 ng/mL (phenol) to 210 ng/mL (4-ethylguaiacol) for LVI based on a 20 μL ethanol/water sample injected. Relative standard deviations ranged from 0.8 to 5.4 % for SBSE and 1.6 to 6.2 % for LVI.