JP7685016B2 - A beer-flavored beverage with an enhanced aftertaste - Google Patents

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims priority from an earlier filed patent application in Japan, Patent Application No. 2018-123628 (filing date: June 28, 2018). The entire disclosure of this earlier patent application is hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.

The present invention relates to a beer-flavored beverage with enhanced aftertaste and a method for producing the same.

A beer-flavored beverage is a beverage that has a beer-like flavor and exhibits the distinctive taste and aroma of beer that can be obtained when ordinary beer is produced, i.e., when beer is produced based on fermentation by yeast or the like. There is a demand for beer-flavored beverages that taste as close as possible to beer, and in developing a beer-flavored beverage, the challenge is to reproduce the inherent bitterness and aftertaste of beer in the beer-flavored beverage. In addition, beer itself is one type of beer-flavored beverage, and there is often a desire to enhance the aftertaste of beer.

There have already been several reports on technologies for imparting a crisp aftertaste to beer-flavored beverages. For example, Patent Document 1 describes how a non-fermented beer-flavored beverage with a crisp aftertaste can be obtained by using cyclodextrin or thaumatin as a masking material.

However, there is still room for improvement in technology for imparting a crisp aftertaste to beer-flavored beverages.

JP 2017-79801 A

The object of the present invention is to provide a beer-flavored beverage with an enhanced aftertaste and a method for producing the same.

The inventors have found that adding three types of substances, either alone or in combination, at specific concentrations enhances the aftertaste of a beer-taste beverage. The present invention is based on this finding.

That is, the present invention includes the following inventions.
(1) The following (a) to (c):
(a) a concentration of 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-one of 10 ppb or more;
A beer-taste beverage that satisfies at least one condition selected from the group consisting of: (b) a trans-2-hexenal concentration of 5 ppb or more; and (c) a nonanal concentration of 1 ppb or more.
(2) A beer-taste beverage as described in (1) above, which satisfies condition (a).
(3) The beer-taste beverage described in (1) above, which satisfies the conditions (a) and (b) above.
(4) The beer-taste beverage described in (1) above, which satisfies the conditions (a) and (c) above.
(5) A beer-taste beverage as described in (1) above, which satisfies the conditions (a), (b) and (c).
(6) A beer-taste beverage as described in (1) above, which satisfies condition (b).
(7) The beer-taste beverage described in (1) above, which satisfies the conditions (b) and (c) above.
(8) A beer-flavored beverage as described in (1) above, which satisfies condition (c).
(9) The beer-taste beverage according to any one of (1) to (8) above, wherein the myrcene concentration is less than 400 ppb.
(10) The beer-taste beverage according to any one of (1) to (9) above, wherein the concentration of 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-one is 75 ppb or more.
(11) The beer-taste beverage according to any one of (1) to (10) above, wherein the concentration of trans-2-hexenal is 75 ppb or more.
(12) The beer-taste beverage according to any one of (1) to (11) above, wherein the nonanal concentration is 15 to 20 ppb.
(13) The beer-taste beverage according to any one of (1) to (12) above, wherein the proline concentration is 100 ppm or more.
(14) The beer-taste beverage according to any one of (1) to (13), which is an alcoholic beverage.
(15) The beer-taste beverage according to any one of (1) to (13), which is a non-alcoholic beverage.
(16) A method for producing a beer-taste beverage, comprising the steps of:
(a) a concentration of 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-one of 10 ppb or more;
(b) a trans-2-hexenal concentration of 5 ppb or more; and (c) a nonanal concentration of 1 ppb or more.
(17) A method for enhancing the aftertaste of a beer-taste beverage, comprising the steps of:
(a) a concentration of 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-one of 10 ppb or more;
(b) a trans-2-hexenal concentration of 5 ppb or more; and (c) a nonanal concentration of 1 ppb or more.

According to the present invention, it is possible to enhance the aftertaste of a beer-taste beverage. In particular, the present invention is advantageous in that it can enhance the aftertaste while maintaining the intensity of the flavor depth of the beer-taste beverage to a certain extent. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is particularly advantageous in that it can maintain a certain degree of aftertaste when enhancing the flavor depth of a beer-taste beverage. Such effects of the present invention can be seen in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

Description of the Invention

Definition: In the present invention, a "beer-taste beverage" refers to a beverage that has a beer-like flavor. "Beer-like flavor" means that the beverage exhibits the unique taste and aroma of beer that can be obtained when ordinary beer is produced, i.e., when beer is produced based on fermentation by yeast or the like. Needless to say, the beer-taste beverage of the present invention includes beer itself. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the beer-taste beverage of the present invention does not include beverages that use fruit or fruit juice as an ingredient.

The beer-taste beverage of the present invention may or may not contain alcohol.
The alcohol concentration of a beer-taste beverage that contains alcohol is not particularly limited, but is preferably 0.01 to 10 v/v%, more preferably 1 to 8 v/v%, and even more preferably 2 to 7 v/v%. On the other hand, if the beer-taste beverage does not contain alcohol, the beer-taste beverage may be a non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage with an alcohol concentration of 0.00 v/v%.

In this specification, "ppb" and "ppm" are synonymous with "μg/L" and "mg/L", respectively.

The beer-taste beverage of the present invention comprises the following (a) to (c):
(a) a concentration of 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-one of 10 ppb or more, preferably 20 ppb or more, more preferably 75 ppb or more;
(b) a trans-2-hexenal concentration of 5 ppb or more, preferably 20 ppb or more, more preferably 75 ppb or more, and (c) a nonanal concentration of 1 ppb or more, preferably 15 ppb or more.

The concentration of 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-one can be measured by methods known in the art, such as SPME gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer (GC/MS). In addition, in order to quantify low concentrations, a pre-concentrated sample can be used as the measurement sample. Furthermore, for accurate quantification, a calibration curve prepared using several reference samples of known concentrations or an internal standard substance can be used. The upper limit of the concentration of 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-one in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but can be set to 300 ppb, preferably 150 ppb, taking into consideration the effect on the flavor of the beverage.

The concentration of trans-2-hexenal can be measured by methods known in the art, for example, SPME gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer (GC/MS). In addition, in order to quantify low concentrations, a pre-concentrated sample can be used as the measurement sample. Furthermore, for accurate quantification, a calibration curve prepared using several reference samples of known concentrations or an internal standard substance can be used. The upper limit of the trans-2-hexenal concentration in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but can be set to 300 ppb, preferably 150 ppb, taking into consideration the effect on the flavor of the beverage.

The concentration of nonanal can be measured by methods known in the art, for example, headspace gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer (GC/MS). In order to quantify low concentrations, a pre-concentrated sample can be used as the measurement sample. Furthermore, for accurate quantification, a calibration curve prepared using several reference samples of known concentrations or an internal standard can be used. The upper limit of the nonanal concentration in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but taking into consideration the effect on the flavor of the beverage, it can be 100 ppb, preferably 40 ppb, and more preferably 20 ppb. According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, the nonanal concentration is 1 to 20 ppb, and more preferably 15 to 20 ppb.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the beer-taste beverage of the present invention essentially satisfies the above condition (a). In this embodiment, the beer-taste beverage of the present invention satisfies the above condition (a), and may further satisfy either or both of the above conditions (b) and (c) in addition to the above condition (a).

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the beer-taste beverage of the present invention essentially satisfies the condition (b) above. In this embodiment, the beer-taste beverage of the present invention satisfies the condition (b) above, and may also satisfy either or both of the conditions (a) and (c) above in addition to the condition (b).

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the beer-taste beverage of the present invention essentially satisfies the condition (c) above. In this embodiment, the beer-taste beverage of the present invention satisfies the condition (c) above, and may also satisfy either or both of the conditions (a) and (b) above in addition to the condition (c) above.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the concentration of myrcene in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention is less than 400 ppb, more preferably 300 ppb or less, and even more preferably less than 100 ppb. The myrcene concentration (ppb) can be measured, for example, by gas chromatography with a mass spectrometer (GC/MS). In addition, in order to quantify low concentrations, a pre-concentrated sample can be used as the measurement sample. Furthermore, for accurate quantification, a calibration curve prepared using several reference samples of known concentrations or an internal standard can be used.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the concentration of proline in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention is 100 ppm or more, more preferably 350 ppm or more, even more preferably 600 ppm or more, and even more preferably 900 ppm or more. The concentration of proline can be quantified, for example, by separating amino acids with a cation exchange resin (size: 4.6 mm I.D. x 60 mm resin: Hitachi custom ion exchange resin), adding a ninhydrin reaction solution, reacting at 130°C, and using a UV-VIS detector. In addition, in order to quantify low concentrations, a sample that has been concentrated in advance can be used as the measurement sample. Furthermore, for accurate quantification, a calibration curve created using several reference samples of known concentrations or an internal standard substance can be used. The upper limit of the concentration of proline in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but taking into consideration the effect on the flavor of the beverage, it can be set to 1800 ppm, preferably 900 ppm, and more preferably 600 ppm.

By adjusting the pH of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention to fall within a specified pH range, the beer-like bitterness and aftertaste can be further enhanced. The pH range of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention is preferably 3.0 or higher and 5.0 or lower, more preferably 3.5 or higher and 4.5 or lower, and even more preferably 3.5 or higher and 4.0 or lower. The pH of the beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be adjusted, for example, by using an acidulant such as lactic acid, citric acid, phosphoric acid, malic acid, succinic acid, gluconic acid, phytic acid, or a combination of these.

The beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be produced by adjusting the concentrations of the above-mentioned components during or after the steps of a normal beer-taste beverage production process. Such concentration adjustments can be made by adding refined products of each component, or by adding raw materials containing each component or increasing or decreasing the amount of the raw materials used.

Methods for producing beer-taste beverages through a fermentation process are well known in the art and are not particularly limited. Beer-taste beverages can be made into final products through, for example, a fermentation process in which fermentation beer yeast is added to a pre-fermentation liquid prepared from brewing raw materials such as a carbon source, a nitrogen source, hops, and water, and the pre-fermentation liquid is fermented; a storage process in which the fermented liquid obtained in the fermentation process is stored at low temperature; a filtration process in which the matured liquid obtained in the storage process is filtered to remove yeast, insoluble components, and the like; and a filling process in which the filtrate obtained in the filtration process is filled into containers such as cans, bottles, and barrels.

Methods for producing beer-taste beverages that do not involve a fermentation process are also well known in the art and are not particularly limited. A beer-taste beverage can be made into a final product through, for example, a blending process in which raw materials, additives, etc. are blended, a filtration process in which the blended liquid obtained in the blending process is filtered, and a filling process in which the filtrate obtained in the filtration process is filled into containers such as cans, bottles, and barrels.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for enhancing the aftertaste of a beer-taste beverage, the method comprising adjusting the concentrations of the above-mentioned components to fall within the above-mentioned ranges.

The present invention will be described based on the following examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

Example 1: Study of the concentration of three components (substances) with excellent aftertaste enhancement effect (1) Preparation of happoshu sample A happoshu (malt ratio less than 25%, using Hersbrucker hops) was used as a control sample, and proline was added to this happoshu to a concentration of 500 ppm to prepare a sample with enhanced body. 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-one (PBO), trans-2-hexenal (t2H) or nonanal (NN) were added at various concentrations to this sample with enhanced body, and subjected to sensory evaluation. Here, since the control sample does not contain any of PBO, t2H, or NN, the amounts of these added correspond to the contents of these in the sample.

(2) Sensory Evaluation Sensory evaluation was performed by a panel of four people to evaluate the strength and depth of aftertaste. Here, "strength of taste" was evaluated as the total amount of bitterness, sourness, umami, and sweetness immediately after drinking. The evaluation criteria were a nine-point score from 1 (weak) to 9 (strong) for each of the strength of aftertaste and the strength of taste, with the control sample receiving a score of 4 points and the sample with enhanced body receiving a score of 7 points.

(3) Evaluation Results The results are shown in Table 1.

The scores shown in Table 1 are the average scores of the four panelists, and the standard error for all values was 1.0 or less. In Table 1, test plots with an aftertaste intensity of 5 points or less were judged to be effective. As a result, it was found that the concentration of 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-one is preferably 10 ppb or more, more preferably 20 ppb or more, and even more preferably 75 ppb or more. It was also found that the concentration of trans-2-hexenal is preferably 5 ppb or more, more preferably 20 ppb or more, and even more preferably 75 ppb or more. It was also found that the concentration of nonanal is preferably 1 ppb or more, more preferably 15 ppb or more, and even more preferably 20 ppb or less. Furthermore, it was found that in all test plots, even if the aftertaste intensity was reduced, the flavor intensity was relatively maintained.

(4) Confirmation of the effect in beer In order to confirm that the effect seen in the happoshu sample is also seen in beer, a similar sensory evaluation was performed using a beer sample. The beer sample was prepared by diluting beer (100% malt ratio, using Saaz hops) with water two-fold, and this was used as a control sample. This control sample was added with proline to a concentration of 400 ppm to prepare a sample with enhanced body. 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-one (PBO), trans-2-hexenal (t2H) or nonanal (NN) was added at various concentrations to this sample with enhanced body, and sensory evaluation was performed according to (2) above. Here, since the control sample does not contain any of PBO, t2H, or NN, the amounts of these added correspond to the contents of these in the sample. The results are shown in Table 2.

The scores shown in Table 2 are the average scores of the four panelists, and the standard error for all values was less than 1.0. As is clear from Table 2, the same effect was confirmed for beer as for happoshu.

Example 2: Effect of myrcene concentration on aftertaste enhancement effect In order to determine the range in which the aftertaste enhancement effect is not significantly inhibited in a beer-taste beverage containing a large amount of myrcene (Myrc), happoshu samples with different myrcene concentrations were prepared. Specifically, a control sample and a sample with enhanced body were prepared according to Example 1 (1). 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-one (PBO) (50 ppb), trans-2-hexenal (t2H) (50 ppb) and nonanal (NN) (10 ppb) were added to the sample with enhanced body, and further, samples were prepared in which myrcene was added at concentrations of 50 ppb, 100 ppb, 300 ppb, 400 ppb, 500 ppb or 700 ppb. Here, since the control sample does not contain any of myrcene, PBO, t2H and NN, the amounts of these added correspond to the contents of these in the sample. For each sample, a sensory evaluation was carried out in accordance with Example 1(2). The results are shown in Table 3.

The scores shown in Table 3 are the average scores of the four panelists, and the standard error for all values was 1.0 or less. In Table 3, test plots in which the aftertaste intensity was 5 points or less were judged to be effective. As a result, it was found that the concentration of myrcene in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention is preferably less than 400 ppb, more preferably less than 300 ppb, and even more preferably less than 100 ppb.

Example 3: Effect of proline concentration on aftertaste enhancement effect In order to investigate the effect of proline concentration on the aftertaste enhancement effect of the three components, happoshu samples with different proline concentrations were prepared. Specifically, a stock solution (proline concentration 100 ppm) of happoshu (malt ratio less than 25%, using Helsbrucker hops) and a sample diluted 2-fold (proline concentration 50 ppm) were prepared, and further, samples were prepared in which proline was added to the stock solution to set the proline concentration to 350 ppm or 900 ppm. Then, samples were prepared by adding 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-one (PBO) (100 ppb), trans-2-hexenal (t2H) (100 ppb) or nonanal (NN) (20 ppb) to these samples. Here, since the control sample does not contain any of PBO, t2H, and NN, the amounts of these added correspond to the contents of these in the sample. For each sample, a sensory evaluation was carried out in accordance with Example 1(2).
In this evaluation, for the samples with each proline concentration, the taste depth and aftertaste strength of the sample that did not contain any of PBO, t2H, and NN was scored as 5. The results are shown in Table 4.

The scores shown in Table 4 are the average scores of the four panelists, and the standard error for all values was 1.0 or less. In Table 4, test plots in which the aftertaste intensity was 4 points or less were judged to be effective. As a result, it was found that the proline concentration in the beer-taste beverage of the present invention is preferably 100 ppm or more, more preferably 350 ppm or more, even more preferably 600 ppm or more, and even more preferably 900 ppm or more.

Example 4: Effect of combination of three components on aftertaste enhancement effect In order to investigate the aftertaste enhancement effect when three components are combined, happoshu samples containing three components in various combinations were prepared. Specifically, a stock solution of happoshu (malt ratio less than 25%, using Hersbrucker hops) was used as a control sample, and proline was added to this happoshu to a concentration of 500 ppm to prepare a sample with enhanced body. Samples were prepared by adding 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-one (PBO) (50 ppb), trans-2-hexenal (t2H) (50 ppb), or nonanal (NN) (10 ppb) at various concentrations to this sample with enhanced body. Furthermore, samples containing all of these three components at one-tenth the above concentration were also prepared. Here, since the control sample does not contain any of PBO, t2H, and NN, the amounts of these added correspond to the contents of these in the sample. These samples were subjected to sensory evaluation.

The sensory evaluation was performed according to Example 1 (2). However, in this example, the taste intensity and aftertaste strength of the control sample were rated 3 points, and the taste intensity and aftertaste strength of the sample with enhanced body were rated 7 points. The results are shown in Table 5.

The scores shown in Table 5 are the average scores of the four panelists, and the standard error for all values was less than 1.0. Table 5 reveals that the after-sharpness enhancing effect is improved by combining two or three of the three components. It also reveals that when three components are used in combination, the higher the concentration, the better the after-sharpness enhancing effect.

Example 5: Confirmation of the aftertaste enhancement effect in non-alcoholic beer-taste beverages The following experiment was conducted to confirm whether the aftertaste enhancement effect confirmed in happoshu and beer is also observed in non-alcoholic beer-taste beverages. A non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage was used as a control sample, and a sample with enhanced body was prepared by adding proline to this non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage to a concentration of 500 ppm. 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-one (PBO), trans-2-hexenal (t2H) or nonanal (NN) was added at various concentrations to this sample with enhanced body, and a sensory evaluation was performed according to Example 1 (2). Here, since the control sample does not contain any of PBO, t2H, or NN, the amounts of these added correspond to the contents of these in the sample. The results are shown in Table 6.

The scores shown in Table 6 are the average scores of the four panelists, and the standard error for all values was less than 1.0. In Table 6, test plots with an aftertaste strength of 6 points or less were judged to be effective. The same effects as beer and happoshu were confirmed for non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages.

Claims (8)

A beer-taste beverage having a myrcene concentration of less than 400 ppb and a proline concentration of 100 ppm or more, and (b) satisfying the condition that the trans-2-hexenal concentration is 5 to 300 ppb. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, which satisfies condition (b) and condition (c) that the nonanal concentration is 1 ppb or more. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, in which the concentration of trans-2-hexenal is 75 ppb or more. The beer-taste beverage according to claim 2, in which the nonanal concentration is 15 to 20 ppb. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is an alcoholic beverage. The beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which is a non-alcoholic beverage. A method for producing a beer-taste beverage, comprising the step of (b) adjusting the concentrations of these substances so that the beer-taste beverage satisfies the conditions of a trans-2-hexenal concentration of 5 to 300 ppb, a myrcene concentration of less than 400 ppb, and a proline concentration of 100 ppm or more. A method for enhancing the aftertaste of a beer-taste beverage having a myrcene concentration of less than 400 ppb and a proline concentration of 100 ppm or more, the method comprising the step of adjusting the concentration of (b) trans-2-hexenal so that the concentration of this substance in the beer-taste beverage satisfies the condition of 5 to 300 ppb.