Phenolic, volatile, and sensory profiles of beer enriched by macerating quince fruits

Quince fruit (Cydonia oblonga Miller) is not very appreciated for their sensory properties for fresh consumption but it is a fruit rich in functional compounds. The aim of this study was to take advantage of this fruit to improve the functional profile of one of the most popular alcoholic beverages around the world, beer. For this purpose, one quince cultivar, Vranja, and two clones ZM9 and PUM were used to brew beer and study its physico-chemical, aromatic (headspace solid phase micro-extraction, HS-SPME), functional (phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity) and sensory (descriptive analysis with trained panel) properties. The addition of quince increased the total polyphenol content, the total hydroxicinnamic acids, concentration of main volatile compounds related with fruity sensory descriptors, and led to higher intensities of floral and fruity sensory attributes. Therefore, the quince beer had a better functional composition and better sensory characteristics than the control beer.