WOOD CHIPS AND CACHAÇA AGING

Recently, Brazilian legislation authorized the storage of cachaça in contact with wood fragments. However, the practice was admitted exclusively for producing an alternative cachaça, different from the aged one, and the differentiation must appear on the label, with words the same size as the brand of the drink. The objective of this work was to evaluate the differentiation between stored cachaça containing wood chips and cachaça aged in wooden barrels. Samples of oak chips were kept in contact with freshly distilled cachaça in glass containers for eight months. Next, chemical analyzes (phenolic content by liquid chromatography) and sensory evaluations were carried out. The results demonstrated that exclusive contact with chips makes it possible to reproduce the typical chromatographic profile of cachaças aged in oak barrels. However, it does not provide the typical reactions of aging, which respond to body and sensory complexity. The authors propose that, instead of creating a new type of cachaça, the chips should be classified as process aids, authorizing their use directly inside the wooden barrels intended for aging. This way, the handling of used barrels would be easier, color adjustment by adding caramel coloring would be unnecessary and producers would be encouraged to advance in the scope of standardization and sensorial excellence.