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Electronic tongue for quality assessment of ethanol, vodka and eau–de–vie |
Abstract.
Rapid quality assessment of alcoholic beverages, including brand identification and detection of
products of unacceptable quality or counterfeits is an important practical task. In the present work
the multisensor electronic tongue system (ET), based on array of potentiometric chemical sensors was
applied to recognition and classification of spirits such as vodka and ethanol used for vodka production
and also for eau–de–vie in cognac production. The ET system was capable of detecting presence of
contaminant substances in vodka in concentrations exceeding allowed levels as well as of distinguishing
vodka complying and not complying with state quality standards. Ten brands of vodka produced at the same
distillery using water and ethanol of different purity and various taste additives were discriminated
using the instrument. The ET could distinguish synthetic and alimentary grain ethanol as well as alimentary
ethanol of different grades (i.e. different degree of purification). A feasibility study was run on several
eau–de–vie samples, which included fresh and aged eau–de–vie as well as samples produced using different
distillation technology and samples kept in contact with different kinds of oak.
The electronic tongue showed a promise as an analytical instrument for rapid quality assessment of spirits.
Keywords: Ethanol, Electronic tongue, Quality control, Purification, Distilleries, Contaminants, Classification, Taste, Chemical sensors, Grain, Alcoholic beverages.