Major Volatile Components and Sensory Characteristics of Plum Brandies Produced from Plum Cultivars Developed in Cacak

In Serbia, besides 'Pozegaca' and autochthonous plum cultivars, some cultivars developed in Cacak are used for the production of plum brandy. 'Cacanska Lepotica' and 'Cacanska Najbolja' are dessert cultivars which are being processed into brandy only in seasons when the demand for fresh fruits on the market is low. 'Cacanska Rodna' is the cultivar with combined properties, and is mainly used for the production of brandy and drying. 'Pozegaca' (which used to be a standard for brandy production) was most commonly used raw material for the production of premium-quality plum brandy. This paper presents the study of influence of plum cultivars developed in Cacak on the content of some major volatile components and sensory characteristics of plum brandy. Upon removing the stones, fruits of the studied cultivars were processed into plum brandy by the common method. The contents of methanol, 8 higher alcohols, 3 acids, 10 esters, acetaldehyde and benzaldehyde were determined in the produced plum brandies by gas chromatography. Plum brandies made from the above stated cultivars differed in the content of particular components. Methanol content in all brandies was lower than legally permitted. The highest content of higher alcohols, acids and total esters (without ethylacetate and ethyllactate) was found in brandy produced from 'Cacanska Lepotica'. The highest ethylacetate and benzaldehide content was recorded in brandy produced from 'Pozegaca'. With regard to the sensory characteristics, the brandy made from 'Cacanska Lepotica' was graded highest, whereas brandies produced from cultivars 'Pozegaca', 'Cacanska Rodna' and 'Cacanska Najbolja' followed.