Comparative Analysis of Aroma Compositions in Chestnut Whiskeys Produced by Five Commercial Yeasts Using E‐Nose and GC‐IMS

To investigate the adaptability of commercially available whiskey yeasts when fermented with nontraditional raw materials, this study conducted a comparative analysis of the fermentation and volatile production characteristics of five commercial yeasts, namely, Angel W19, Fermentis D53, Fermentis M1, RED STAR 11b, and Still Spirits Distiller’s Whisky yeast, in lab‐scale whiskey production using chestnut as the core raw material. The results showed that all five yeasts exhibited good adaptability when fermenting a chestnut–barley malt slurry, with alcohol content ranging from 3.87% to 4.19% vol and titratable acidity ranging from 3.47 to 7.32 g/L. The E‐nose and HS‐GC‐IMS analyses revealed the distinctive volatile compositions of the fermented slurries and final distillates produced by these five yeasts. In the fermented slurries, higher alcohols, esters, and terpenoids are the quantitatively predominant components, and Fermentis D53, Fermentis M1, and RED STAR 11b showed a relatively strong ability in producing these components. In the final distillates, however, the concentrations of these components all decrease, and heterocyclics and carbonyls become the predominant components. (E)‐2‐Octenal, (E)‐2‐nonenal, pentyl acetate, β‐myrcene, β‐ocimene, and α‐terpinolene are screened as the main key volatile flavor compounds (VIPs > 1.0 and ROAVs > 1.0) in chestnut whiskeys and are predicted to primarily contribute to the overall fatty, fruity, and spicy aroma profiles. This study offers valuable information on the fermentation and volatile production characteristics of commercially available whiskey yeasts fermented with chestnut–malt slurry and provides a useful reference for developing distinct flavored whiskeys from nontraditional raw materials.