Impact of barrel toasting on the cognac eau-de-vie sensory profile

Abstract

During barrel production, the oak undergoes several processing stages that contribute to wine and brandy flavours. The toasting step is considered to have the most important influence on oak wood chemical composition as it causes the thermodegradation of some oak wood components. However, the effect of toasting on distilled spirit quality has not been thoroughly studied. Thus, the objective of this study was to determine the impact of barrel toasting on the cognac eau-de-vie sensory profile.