Abstract: To investigate the characteristics of spicy aroma compounds and notes in mainstream cigarette smoke and their chemical distribution and sensory contributions, 25 components with spicy aroma characteristics were identified through smoke component screening and sensory evaluation. The levels of the 25 components in mainstream cigarette smoke of 15 cigarette brands were determined by GC-MS. The contributions of the components to the smoke spicy note of the 15 cigarettes were compared by their odor activity values (OAVs). The results showed that: 1) In the mainstream smoke of the 15 cigarettes, 13 spicy aroma components were detected ranging from 2.946 to 11.864 μg/cig, in which syringaldehyde and trans-isoeugenol were higher than the others, followed by eugenol, cinnamaldehyde and 6-methoxyeugenol. 2) The direct contributions of dihydroeugenol, eugenol and trans-isoeugenol to the spicy note of the 15 cigarettes were the most significant, followed by 4-methoxybenzaldehyde, cinnamaldehyde and 6-methoxyeugenol. 3) The spicy note was formed by the synergism of clove-like, anise-like and cinnamon-like aromas, in which clove-like aroma had the most significant role in demonstrating the spicy note of mainstream smoke.