Effects of aging in two types of wooden containers on volatile components in cigars

In order to improve the quality and sensory style characteristics of cigars, the influences of storing and aging in wooden containers on the volatile components and sensory quality of cigars were studied. The volatile components in cigars before and after the aging in two containers made of Cunninghamia lanceolata and Sabina pingii var. wilsonii separately were determined by headspace-solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (HS-SPME-GC-MS). The effects of aging on the types and mass fractions of volatile components and sensory quality of cigars were analyzed. The results showed that: 1) A total of 55 volatile components were detected from the stored cigar samples, mainly including olefins, followed by nitrogen-containing compounds. The aging treatment in both Cunninghamia lanceolata and Sabina pingii var. wilsonii containers enriched the types of volatile components in cigars, especially in Sabina pingii var. wilsonii container. The increased volatile components were mainly olefins. 2) The mass fractions of 25 volatile components in the stored cigar samples increased after aging in Cunninghamia lanceolata container; among them, the mass fractions of 23 components increased significantly (FC>2, P < 0.05). The mass fractions of 35 volatile components in the aged cigar samples increased after aging in Sabina pingii var. wilsonii container, in which the mass fractions of 34 components increased significantly (FC>2, P < 0.05). 3) Both aging in Cunninghamia lanceolata and Sabina pingii var. wilsonii containers improved the sensory quality scores of the cigars to a certain extent, including aroma, offensive odor, irritation, aftertaste, etc; and the effects of aging in Sabina pingii var. wilsonii container were better. The quality and sensory style characteristics of the cigars could be promoted by aging in Cunninghamia lanceolata and Sabina pingii var. wilsonii containers, and the effect in Sabina pingii var. wilsonii container was better.