Volatile Profile Survey of Five Apple Varieties Grown in Southwest Colorado from Juice to Finished, Dry-Hopped Cider

The volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced during cider fermentation, maturation, and dry hopping greatly impact enjoyment of the final product. To investigate the effect of apple variety on VOC development in cider, five apple varieties were picked from two orchards in southwest Colorado. Each apple variety was juiced, fermented with Lalvin QA23 Saccharomyces cerevisiae, dry-hopped with Citra hops, and analyzed separately alongside non-dry hopped controls. The aroma attributes of these historical southwest Colorado apples have never been explored, and few studies have chemically profiled the aromas of dry-hopped cider. A total of 73 VOCs were identified using headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS) from fruit juice to cider. Ethyl esters, acetate esters, higher alcohols, and terpenes were the major aroma contributors observed in dry-hopped cider. The identity and concentrations of VOCs varied greatly between apple varieties, with only 24 common VOCs detected in all samples studied. This indicates the importance of apple variety choice in tuning the aroma profile of the finished cider. This method can be used to more effectively evaluate orchard or cider production treatments on cider quality. This case study also provides practical information for cider makers seeking to improve the quality of their products through consideration of fruit variety and dry hopping. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/03610470.2021.2013645 .