JP7730638B2 - Plum-flavored drink - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a plum-flavored beverage and a method for producing the same.

Plum-flavored beverages are beverages that have the flavor of plum fruit, and are popular with consumers for their refreshing plum aroma and moderate acidity. Many plum-flavored non-alcoholic beverages (soft drinks, etc.) and plum-flavored alcoholic beverages (fruit wines, sweet fruit wines, liqueurs, etc.) have been developed and are on the market.

For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a plum alcoholic beverage containing plum ingredients, which contains octanal and fenchol in specified ranges and has an enhanced, vibrant fruitiness (a fruity flavor with a white flower-like fragrance) and rich umami (a complex fermented umami).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-149969

However, there is a continuing need to develop new flavors and flavor improvements for plum-flavored beverages in order to meet the diverse tastes of consumers. In particular, there is room for further improvement in the green plum flavor, which is the flavor of green plums (plums that are not fully ripe).

The present invention therefore aims to provide a plum-flavored beverage with an enhanced green plum flavor and improved aroma, a method for producing the same, and a method for improving the aroma of a plum-flavored beverage.

In order to solve the above problems, the present inventors conducted extensive research and discovered that the aroma component ethyl hexanoate affects the flavor of plum-flavored beverages, particularly the unripe plum flavor. Based on this knowledge, they discovered that by creating a plum-flavored beverage containing 10 μg/L or more of ethyl hexanoate, it is possible to provide a plum-flavored beverage with an enhanced unripe plum flavor and an improved flavor, thereby completing the present invention.

That is, the present invention includes the following items <1> to <10>.
<1> A plum-flavored beverage containing 10 μg/L or more of ethyl hexanoate.
<2> The plum-flavored beverage according to <1>, wherein the content of ethyl hexanoate is 6000 μg/L or less.
<3> The plum-flavored beverage according to <1> or <2>, further containing 20 mg/L or more of propylene glycol.
<4> The plum-flavored beverage described in <3>, wherein the propylene glycol content is 6000 mg/L or less.
<5> The plum-flavored beverage according to any one of <1> to <4>, further containing 10 μg/L or more of ethyl cinnamate.
<6> The plum-flavored beverage according to <5>, wherein the content of ethyl cinnamate is 3000 μg/L or less.
<7> The plum-flavored beverage according to any one of <1> to <6>, which is a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage having an alcohol content of 1 v/v% or more.
<8> The plum-flavored beverage according to <7>, which is a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage containing fruit wine.
<9> A method for producing a plum-flavored beverage, comprising a step of adjusting the content of ethyl hexanoate to 10 μg/L or more.
<10> A method for improving the flavor of a plum-flavored beverage, comprising adding 10 μg/L or more of ethyl hexanoate to the plum-flavored beverage to enhance the green plum flavor.

The present invention makes it possible to provide a plum-flavored beverage with an enhanced green plum flavor and aroma.

The present invention will now be described in detail.
The present invention relates to a plum-flavored beverage containing 10 μg/L or more of ethyl hexanoate (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "plum-flavored beverage of the present invention"), a method for producing the same, etc.

Here, the "ume-flavored beverage" of the present invention refers to a beverage that has the flavor of ume fruit; that is, a beverage that contains ume fruit-derived components (pulp, juice, peel, extracts thereof, fermented liquid, soaking liquid, etc.) and/or ume fruit-like flavors (flavorings, etc.). This ume fruit flavor encompasses not only the flavor of harvested (unprocessed) ume fruit, but also the flavor of processed ume fruit products (e.g., umeboshi, which are salted ume fruit). Therefore, umeboshi-flavored beverages that have the flavor of umeboshi are also included in this ume-flavored beverage. Furthermore, this ume-flavored beverage encompasses both ume-flavored non-alcoholic beverages (soft drinks, etc.) and ume-flavored alcoholic beverages (fruit wine, sweet fruit wine, liqueur, etc.).

The terms "fruit liquor," "sweet fruit liquor," and "liqueur" are exemplified by those defined by the Liquor Tax Act (Act No. 6 of 1953). However, these are not limited to those defined by the Liquor Tax Act and also include other alcoholic beverages produced using fermented fruit or fruit and water as raw materials (e.g., alcoholic beverages classified as spirits under the Liquor Tax Act). Therefore, the plum-flavored alcoholic beverage of the present invention includes those classified as fruit liquor, sweet fruit liquor, liqueur, and spirits under the Liquor Tax Act, as well as other alcoholic beverages with plum flavor. Fruit liquor as defined by the Liquor Tax Act is an alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of less than 20% v/v produced by alcoholic fermentation of fruit or fruit and water, an alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of less than 15% v/v produced by alcoholic fermentation of fruit or fruit and water with the addition of sugars, or an alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of less than 15% v/v produced by alcoholic fermentation of these with the addition of sugars. Additionally, sweet fruit wines, as defined by the Liquor Tax Act, are alcoholic beverages produced by adding sugar to fruit or fruit and water and subjecting them to alcoholic fermentation, or by adding sugar to these and subjecting them to alcoholic fermentation, or by adding sugar, flavorings such as brandy, or water to these alcoholic beverages, but are not included in the above fruit wines. Furthermore, liqueurs, as defined by the Liquor Tax Act, are alcoholic beverages made from alcoholic beverages and sugars or other items (including alcoholic beverages) with an extract content of two or more degrees.

The ingredients that make up the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention are described in detail below.

First, the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention contains ethyl hexanoate ( _C8H16O2 ). Ethyl hexanoate, also known as ethyl caproate, is an ester compound represented by the following formula (1) and is one _{of the} aroma components.

In the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention, the ethyl hexanoate content is 10 μg/L or more, preferably 20 μg/L or more, more preferably 30 μg/L or more, even more preferably 40 μg/L or more, even more preferably 50 μg/L or more, even more preferably 60 μg/L or more, even more preferably 80 μg/L or more, and even more preferably 100 μg/L or more. This is because the green plum flavor can be enhanced in the plum-flavored beverage, that is, the flavor of immature green plums can be imparted or increased, thereby improving the flavor of the plum-flavored beverage. At the same time, the flavor can be enhanced, that is, the plum-flavored beverage can be made to have a rich, expansive top flavor when drunk. Furthermore, the overall flavor balance of the plum-flavored beverage can be excellent. The ethyl hexanoate content can be adjusted by using commercially available ethyl hexanoate preparations or ethyl hexanoate-containing raw materials (such as flavorings), and multiple of these may be used in combination.

Furthermore, in the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention, the ethyl hexanoate content is preferably adjusted to 6000 μg/L or less, more preferably 5000 μg/L or less, even more preferably 4000 μg/L or less, even more preferably 3000 μg/L or less, even more preferably 2500 μg/L or less, even more preferably 2300 μg/L or less, even more preferably 2000 μg/L or less, even more preferably 1800 μg/L or less, and even more preferably 1500 μg/L or less, which is preferable because it maintains a high level of green plum flavor and elegance while achieving a better overall balance of flavor and aroma as a plum-flavored beverage.

The plum-flavored beverage of the present invention preferably further contains propylene glycol (C ₃ H ₈ O ₂ ). Propylene glycol, also known as propane-1,2-diol, is a diol compound represented by the following formula (2), which is a component that is nearly tasteless and odorless when used alone.

In the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention, the propylene glycol content is preferably 20 mg/L or more, more preferably 30 mg/L or more, even more preferably 50 mg/L or more, even more preferably 80 mg/L or more, even more preferably 100 mg/L or more, even more preferably 150 mg/L or more, even more preferably 200 mg/L or more, even more preferably 300 mg/L or more, even more preferably 400 mg/L or more, and even more preferably 500 mg/L or more. This can improve the mellowness of the plum-flavored beverage, and further enhance the aforementioned green plum flavor and gorgeousness due to a synergistic effect with ethyl hexanoate. This can also improve the overall balance of the flavor of the plum-flavored beverage. The propylene glycol content can be adjusted by using commercially available propylene glycol preparations or propylene glycol-containing raw materials, and a combination of these may also be used.

In addition, in the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention, it is suitable to adjust the propylene glycol content to preferably 6000 mg/L or less, more preferably 5000 mg/L or less, even more preferably 4000 mg/L or less, even more preferably 3000 mg/L or less, even more preferably 2500 mg/L or less, even more preferably 2000 mg/L or less, even more preferably 1800 mg/L or less, and even more preferably 1500 mg/L or less. This is because it is easy to maintain the green plum flavor, gorgeousness, and overall balance of the flavor and aroma of a plum-flavored beverage to a high degree while enhancing the mellowness of the flavor and aroma of the plum-flavored beverage.

In the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention, propylene glycol may be contained in a ratio of preferably 3 parts by weight or more, more preferably 10 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 50 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 100 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 400 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 1000 parts by weight or more, even more preferably 2000 parts by weight or more, and even more preferably 3000 parts by weight or more, per part by weight of ethyl hexanoate, within the aforementioned content range. It may also be contained in a ratio of preferably 600,000 parts by weight or less, more preferably 300,000 parts by weight or less, even more preferably 120,000 parts by weight or less, even more preferably 100,000 parts by weight or less, even more preferably 50,000 parts by weight or less, even more preferably 40,000 parts by weight or less, even more preferably 20,000 parts by weight or less, and even more preferably 10,000 parts by weight or less. This composition allows for the production of a plum-flavored beverage that is excellent in the flavor, elegance, and mellowness of green plums, as well as in the overall balance of the flavor and aroma of a plum-flavored beverage.

The plum-flavored beverage of the present invention preferably further contains ethyl cinnamate (C ₁₁ H ₁₂ O ₂ ). Ethyl cinnamate, also known as 3-phenyl-2-propenoic acid ethyl ester, is an ester compound represented by the following formula (3), and is also an aroma component.

In the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention, the content of ethyl cinnamate is preferably 10 μg/L or more, preferably 20 μg/L or more, more preferably 30 μg/L or more, even more preferably 40 μg/L or more, even more preferably 50 μg/L or more, even more preferably 60 μg/L or more, even more preferably 80 μg/L or more, and even more preferably 100 μg/L or more. This, due to a synergistic effect with ethyl hexanoate, can make the flavor of the plum-flavored beverage more mellow while maintaining the aforementioned green plum flavor and elegance to a high degree. In particular, it is more preferable to include ethyl cinnamate in the above range in the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention that contains propylene glycol. Furthermore, in the plum-flavored beverage (plum-flavored alcoholic beverage) of the present invention that contains fruit wine, including ethyl cinnamate in the above range, the flavor becomes more mellow and the green plum flavor, elegance, and overall balance of the flavor of the plum-flavored beverage can be improved. The ethyl cinnamate content can also be adjusted by using commercially available ethyl cinnamate preparations or raw materials containing ethyl cinnamate, and multiple such preparations may be used in combination.

In addition, in the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention, it is suitable to adjust the ethyl cinnamate content to preferably 3000 μg/L or less, more preferably 2500 μg/L or less, even more preferably 2000 μg/L or less, even more preferably 1500 μg/L or less, even more preferably 1200 μg/L or less, even more preferably 1000 μg/L or less, and even more preferably 800 μg/L or less. This is because the plum-flavored beverage tends to maintain a high level of the green plum flavor, gorgeousness, mellowness, and overall balance of flavor and aroma required for a plum-flavored beverage.

In the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention, ethyl cinnamate may be contained in a ratio of preferably 0.001 part by mass or more, more preferably 0.01 part by mass or more, even more preferably 0.05 part by mass or more, even more preferably 0.1 part by mass or more, even more preferably 0.2 part by mass or more, even more preferably 0.5 part by mass or more, and even more preferably 1 part by mass or more, per part by mass of ethyl hexanoate, within the aforementioned content range; or preferably 300 parts by mass or less, more preferably 100 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 60 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 50 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 20 parts by mass or less, and even more preferably 10 parts by mass or less. This composition makes it possible to obtain a plum-flavored beverage (particularly a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage, including a fruit wine) that exhibits an excellent green plum flavor, elegance, mellowness, and overall balance of flavor and aroma as a plum-flavored beverage.

Furthermore, when the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention contains both propylene glycol and ethyl cinnamate, the ethyl cinnamate may be contained in a ratio of preferably 0.0001 part by mass or more, more preferably 0.0002 part by mass or more, even more preferably 0.0005 part by mass or more, even more preferably 0.001 part by mass or more, even more preferably 0.002 part by mass or more, even more preferably 0.005 part by mass or more, and even more preferably 0.01 part by mass or more per 100 parts by mass of propylene glycol, within the aforementioned content and ratio to ethyl hexanoate ranges; or preferably 15 parts by mass or less, more preferably 10 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 5 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 3 parts by mass or less, even more preferably 1 part by mass or less, and even more preferably 0.5 parts by mass or less.

The ethyl hexanoate content, propylene glycol content, and ethyl cinnamate content in the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention can be measured, for example, by appropriately diluting a sample and using solvent extraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (solvent extraction-GC-MS method).

The plum-flavored beverage of the present invention uses as ingredients raw materials (including formulations) containing the above-mentioned components, raw materials containing plum-derived components (e.g., plum juice, alcoholic beverages made from plum, processed plum products), and/or raw materials having a plum flavor (e.g., plum flavoring). However, other ingredients that can be used include sugars (e.g., glucose, fructose, sucrose, maltose, oligosaccharides), salts (e.g., sodium chloride, potassium chloride), organic acids (e.g., citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, succinic acid, tartaric acid) or their salts, phosphoric acid or its salts, alcoholic beverages not containing plum-derived components, vinegar, dietary fiber, carbonated water, coloring agents, sweeteners, high-intensity sweeteners, seasonings, antioxidants, pH adjusters, emulsifiers, etc. Furthermore, as long as the beverage is a plum-flavored beverage, i.e., a beverage having a plum flavor, raw materials containing fruit-derived components other than plum or vegetable-derived components, and flavorings having a flavor other than plum, can also be used.

When plum juice is contained in the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention, the plum juice content, expressed as a plum juice content ratio equivalent to straight juice, is preferably 1 wt% or more. The upper limit is not limited, but may be 10 wt% or less. Here, plum juice refers to the juice squeezed from plum fruits, or its concentrate, concentrated reconstituted solution, or diluted solution, and may contain pulp and peel. The plum juice content ratio equivalent to straight juice refers to the ratio of the mass of plum juice contained in the plum-flavored beverage, converted to straight juice in accordance with the Japanese Agricultural Standards (JAS), to the total mass of the beverage. Specifically, the Japanese Agricultural Standards for Fruit Drinks (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Notification No. 489, February 24, 2016) stipulates that the standard acidity (citric acid equivalent) of plums is 3.5 wt% (w/v), which is converted to the acidity of straight juice.
However, the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention is characterized in that the above-mentioned effects can be fully obtained even in a plum-flavored beverage that does not contain plum juice (for example, a plum-flavored beverage to which the flavor of plum fruit has been imparted by a flavoring or the like).

The plum-flavored beverage of the present invention may be an alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of 1 v/v% or more (for example, alcoholic beverages as defined in the Liquor Tax Act (Act No. 57 of June 3, 1953)), or it may be a non-alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content of less than 1 v/v%, more preferably less than 0.5 v/v%, even more preferably less than 0.1 v/v%, and even more preferably less than 0.005 v/v%. When the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention is an alcoholic beverage, it may be either a fermented alcoholic beverage or a non-fermented alcoholic beverage, such as the fruit wine, sweet fruit wine, or liqueur described above. When the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention is a non-alcoholic beverage, it may be a soft drink (carbonated beverage, fruit drink, etc.).

When the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention is the aforementioned alcoholic beverage, i.e., a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage, its alcohol content is not particularly limited. However, examples of ranges in which the effects of the present invention are more readily exhibited include a lower limit of 1 v/v% or more, further 2 v/v% or more, further 3 v/v% or more, and even 5 v/v% or more, and an upper limit of 20 v/v% or less, further 15 v/v% or less, further 10 v/v% or less, and even 7 v/v% or less. Here, the "alcohol content (v/v%)" of the present invention is measured based on the National Tax Agency's prescribed analytical method (instruction) 3 Sake 3-4 Alcohol Content (Vibration Density Meter Method). In the present invention, "alcohol" refers to ethanol.
The alcohol content can be adjusted by the alcohol content of the alcoholic beverage (distilled alcohol, brewed alcohol, raw material alcohol, etc.) used in the production process, the blending ratio, etc. Furthermore, when an alcohol fermentation process using yeast (a process in which yeast produces alcohol as a metabolic product from organic substances such as sugars) is performed, the alcohol content can also be adjusted by controlling the fermentation conditions.

If the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention is a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage, it is more preferably a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage containing fruit liquor. It is even more preferable that this fruit liquor be a fruit liquor (such as wine) as defined by the Liquor Tax Act. This fruit liquor may be a plum liquor made from plums or a fruit other than plums. If the included fruit liquor is wine (an alcoholic beverage produced by alcoholic fermentation of grapes or other fruits), it may be white wine, red wine, rosé wine, or a wine with physical properties intermediate between white and red wine. White wine is preferred because it is more likely to enhance the flavor and aroma. Furthermore, if a fruit liquor is included, it is even more preferable that propylene glycol and ethyl cinnamate are also included. This is because the synergistic effect of the flavor of the fruit liquor and the aromas of ethyl hexanoate, propylene glycol, and ethyl cinnamate significantly enhances the overall flavor and balance of the plum-flavored beverage. The content of fruit liquor in the plum-flavored alcoholic beverage of the present invention may be set appropriately taking into consideration the alcohol content and extract content of the final beverage, and is, for example, approximately 10 v/v% to 90 v/v%, further 20 v/v% to 80 v/v%, and even further 30 v/v% to 70 v/v%.
Furthermore, the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention may be a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage including a sweet fruit liquor (for example, a sweet fruit liquor as defined by the Liquor Tax Act mentioned above).

Furthermore, when the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention is a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage, it may contain authentic plum wine or other plum wines, and the plum-flavored alcoholic beverage of the present invention may be authentic plum wine or other plum wines. However, the present invention is characterized in that the above-mentioned effects can be fully obtained even with plum-flavored alcoholic beverages that do not contain authentic plum wine or other plum wines, or with plum alcohol-flavored beverages that are not authentic plum wine or other plum wines. Authentic plum wine here refers to a liqueur or the like obtained by steeping plums in alcoholic beverages such as distilled alcohol and infusing the plum components, and is made only from plums, sugars, and alcoholic beverages. Furthermore, other plum wines (other than authentic plum wine) refer to liqueurs or the like obtained by steeping plums in alcoholic beverages such as distilled alcohol and infusing the plum components, but are not authentic plum wines, i.e., contain plums, sugars, and ingredients other than alcoholic beverages (such as acidulants and flavorings). In particular, when the present invention is used with a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage that does not contain authentic plum wine, or a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage that is not authentic plum wine, the overall balance of flavor and aroma is likely to be even better.

Furthermore, when the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention is a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage, the extract content may be, but is not limited to, 0.2 w/v% or more, 1.0 w/v% or more, 3.0 w/v% or more, 4.0 w/v% or more, or 5.0 w/v% or more. The upper limit is also not limited, but may be, but not limited to, 25.0 w/v% or less, 20.0 w/v% or less, 18.0 w/v% or less, or 15.0 w/v% or less. The extract content in this alcoholic beverage is calculated using the following formula (4):
(4) Extract content (w / v%) = (S - A) × 260 + 0.21

In this formula (4), "S" is the specific gravity (15/4°C) of the plum-flavored alcoholic beverage of the present invention, and "A" is the value calculated by converting the alcohol content of the plum-flavored alcoholic beverage of the present invention to specific gravity (15/15°C). The conversion of alcohol content to specific gravity (15/15°C) is performed based on Table 2 of the National Tax Agency's Prescribed Methods of Analysis (Instructions) of Japan, "Alcohol Content, Density (15°C), and Specific Gravity (15/15°C) Conversion Table." Furthermore, calculations using this formula are rounded to the fifth decimal place, and the final extract content value is truncated to two decimal places. Furthermore, the specific gravity (15/4°C) of the plum-flavored alcoholic beverage of the present invention is calculated by measuring the density at 15°C using a vibration-type density meter and dividing the obtained density value by 0.99997.

The plum-flavored beverage of the present invention may also be a carbonated beverage (carbonated beverage, carbonated alcoholic beverage, etc.) containing carbon dioxide. Here, "sparkling" refers to a carbon dioxide pressure at 20°C of 0.05 MPa or higher, and may be 0.10 MPa or higher, further 0.15 MPa or higher, or even 0.20 MPa or higher. This carbon dioxide pressure may be 1.00 MPa or lower, further 0.50 MPa or lower, or even 0.30 MPa or lower. The carbon dioxide may be derived from carbonated water used as a raw material, or may be added to the beverage by a carbonation (carbon dioxide injection) process. This carbonation process may be carried out batchwise or continuously in-line using a carbon dioxide injection system (carbonator) incorporated into the piping. This carbonation process is preferably carried out at a liquid temperature of 10°C or lower (preferably 4°C or lower) to avoid foaming (bubbling).
The plum-flavored beverage of the present invention may also be a non-sparkling beverage having a carbon dioxide gas pressure of less than 0.05 MPa at 20°C.

The method for producing the plum-flavored beverage of the present invention may be any conventional method for producing soft drinks or alcoholic beverages, as long as it includes a step of adjusting the ethyl hexanoate content of the resulting plum-flavored beverage to 10 μg/L or more, and is not particularly limited. When producing an alcoholic beverage, the production may involve an alcohol fermentation process using yeast to produce a fermented alcoholic beverage, or a blending process using alcoholic beverages such as distilled spirits as a raw material (without an alcohol fermentation process) to produce a non-fermented alcoholic beverage. The above-mentioned effects can be achieved by adjusting the final product to have an ethyl hexanoate content of 10 μg/L or more and a plum flavor. For example, one example of a method for producing a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage is to use pure water as a base, mix the pure water with raw material alcohol, sugars, organic acids, plum juice, flavorings, an ethyl hexanoate preparation, etc., adjust the ethyl hexanoate content of the product to a predetermined range, and, if necessary, perform filtration, sterilization, etc. to produce the final product. The method may further include a step of adjusting the propylene glycol content of the resulting plum-flavored beverage to 20 mg/L or more, and/or a step of adjusting the ethyl cinnamate content of the resulting plum-flavored beverage to 10 μg/L or more.

The plum-flavored beverage of the present invention may also be packaged as a container by filling the product obtained as described above into a glass container, metal container (aluminum container, steel container, etc.), PET bottle, paper container, barrel, etc. Packaged as such, the plum beverage not only helps to prevent deterioration of the plum fruit flavor and aroma over time, but also increases convenience in distribution and sales.

The plum-flavored beverage of the present invention, configured as described above, has an enhanced green plum flavor and aroma, and is also more vibrant, improving the overall balance of the flavor of the plum-flavored beverage. Furthermore, even in the case of a plum-flavored beverage that has the flavor of a processed plum product, such as a pickled plum-flavored beverage, the present invention can be used to create a pickled plum-flavored beverage that has the flavor of pickled plums and is imparted with the flavor of green plums.

The present invention can also be said to provide a method for improving the flavor of a plum-flavored beverage by adding 10 μg/L or more of ethyl hexanoate to the plum-flavored beverage to enhance the green plum flavor. In other words, it can be said to provide a method for enhancing the green plum flavor of a plum-flavored beverage. It also provides a method for enhancing the richness of a plum-flavored beverage and a method for improving the overall balance of the flavor of a plum-flavored beverage. Furthermore, it can also provide a method for improving the flavor of a plum-flavored beverage (such as a method for improving mellowness) by adjusting the propylene glycol content to 20 mg/L or more and/or the ethyl cinnamate content to 10 μg/L or more.

The following describes examples of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to these examples, and various modifications are possible within the technical concept of the present invention.

<Preparation of plum-flavored alcoholic beverage and sensory evaluation (Test I)>
Raw material alcohol, plum juice (5x concentrated), sugars, and citric acid were added to and mixed with pure water, and then each formulation was added and mixed so that the ethyl hexanoate, propylene glycol, or ethyl cinnamate content was the amount shown in the upper row of Table 1 (Samples 1-1 to 1-12). This resulted in the preparation of plum-flavored alcoholic beverages (liqueurs with a plum flavor), Samples 1-1 to 1-12, each with an alcohol content of 6 v/v%, a plum juice content (plum juice content) of 1 w/w% (calculated as pure juice), and an extract content of 13 w/v%, with different ethyl hexanoate, propylene glycol, or ethyl cinnamate contents. A control sample (Sample 0-1), identical to the original but lacking ethyl hexanoate, propylene glycol, or ethyl cinnamate, was also prepared.

Four panelists, trained and equipped with the ability to discern sensory perception, then sensorily evaluated each sample using the following criteria for flamboyance (the richness of the top aroma), green plum flavor (green plum-like aroma), mellowness (the mellowness of the aroma), and overall balance as a beverage (the overall balance of aroma as a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage).

[Evaluation criteria for gorgeousness and green plum feeling]
The gorgeousness and green plum flavor of Sample 0-1 were both rated as 1 (not felt at all), and a comparative sensory evaluation was conducted in comparison with Sample 0-1 on a 5-point scale from 1 (not felt at all (same as Sample 0-1)) to 5 (strongly felt).

[Evaluation criteria for mellowness]
The mellowness of Sample 0-1 was given a rating of 2 (slightly mellow), and a comparative sensory evaluation was conducted in comparison with Sample 0-1 on a 5-point scale from 1 (not mellow) to 5 (very mellow).

[Evaluation criteria for overall balance as a beverage]
The overall balance of flavor as a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage was evaluated using a sensory evaluation scale of 5 points, with 5 points representing "very well-balanced" and 1 point representing "very poorly balanced."

The results of this sensory evaluation (average evaluations by four panelists) are also shown in the lower part of Table 1 below. These results reveal that, first, Samples 1-1 to 1-5, which contain an ethyl hexanoate content of 50 μg/L or more, have a stronger green plum flavor and a more vibrant taste than Sample 0-1, and also have a better overall balance of flavor and aroma as a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage. Furthermore, Samples 1-6 to 1-10, which contain an ethyl hexanoate content of 150 μg/L or 1000 μg/L and a propylene glycol content of 100 mg/L or more, have an improved mellowness of flavor and also have a better green plum flavor, vibrant taste, and overall balance of flavor and aroma as a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage. Furthermore, it was revealed that the liqueurs of samples 1-11 and 1-12, which contained an ethyl hexanoate content of 150 μg/L, a propylene glycol content of 1000 mg/L, and ethyl cinnamate at 100 μg/L or more, also had an enhanced elegance, green plum flavor, and mellowness.

<Preparation of plum-flavored alcoholic beverage and sensory evaluation (Test II)>
Pure water was mixed with raw material alcohol, white wine, plum juice (5x concentrated), sugars, and citric acid, and each formulation was added and mixed to achieve an ethyl hexanoate content of 150 μg/L and a propylene glycol content of 1000 mg/L. Further, formulations were added and mixed to achieve the ethyl cinnamate content shown in the upper row of Table 1 below (Sample 2-1, Sample 2-2). These plum-flavored alcoholic beverages (sweet fruit wines with a plum aroma) were produced as Samples 2-1 and 2-2, which had an alcohol content of 6 v/v% and an extract content of 13 w/v%, but differed in the ethyl cinnamate content. A control sample (Sample 0-2) similar to the control but lacking ethyl hexanoate, propylene glycol, and ethyl cinnamate was also prepared.

Four panelists, trained and equipped with the ability to discern sensory traits, then evaluated each of the resulting samples for their flavor, green plum flavor, mellowness, and overall balance as a beverage, in the same manner as in Test I above. The evaluation criteria for the sensory evaluation were the same as in Test I above, except that Samples 0-2 were used as comparisons for flavor, green plum flavor, and mellowness, and the same evaluation criteria as in Test I above were used for the overall balance as a beverage.

The sensory evaluation results (average evaluations by four panelists) are also shown in the bottom row of Table 1 below. These results demonstrate that the sweet fruit wine of Sample 2-1, which contains white wine and has an ethyl hexanoate content of 150 μg/L and a propylene glycol content of 1000 mg/L, exhibits a green plum flavor, elegance, and mellowness greater than the sweet fruit wine of Sample 0-2, similar to the liqueur of Test I, and also demonstrates an improved evaluation of the overall balance of flavor and aroma as a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage. Furthermore, it was revealed that the sweet fruit wine of Sample 2-2, which further contains 500 μg/L of ethyl cinnamate, exhibits significantly improved green plum flavor, elegance, mellowness, and the overall balance of flavor and aroma as a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage.

The above results indicate that plum-flavored beverages containing a certain amount or more of ethyl hexanoate have an enhanced green plum flavor and a vibrant aroma, and are rated higher for the overall balance of flavor as a plum-flavored beverage, resulting in a beverage with an improved flavor; and that plum-flavored beverages containing a certain amount or more of propylene glycol have a mellower flavor, an enhanced green plum flavor and a vibrant aroma, and are rated higher for the overall balance of flavor as a plum-flavored beverage. Furthermore, plum-flavored beverages containing a certain amount or more of ethyl cinnamate, particularly plum-flavored alcoholic beverages including fruit liqueurs, are shown to have an improved flavor, with an enhanced green plum flavor, a vibrant aroma, a mellowness, and the overall balance of flavor as a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage.

Claims (6)

The plum-flavored beverage has an alcohol content of 15 v/v% or less, contains ethyl hexanoate in an amount of 50 μg/L or more and 2000 μg/L or less, and further contains propylene glycol in an amount of 100 mg /L or more and 3000 mg/L or less and ethyl cinnamate in an amount of 80 μg/L or more and 1000 μg/L or less . 2. The plum-flavored beverage according to claim 1 , wherein the ethyl cinnamate is contained in a ratio of 1 part by mass or more to 1 part by mass of the ethyl hexanoate. 3. The plum-flavored beverage according to claim 1 , which is a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage having an alcohol content of 1% v/v or more. The plum-flavored beverage according to claim 3 , which is a plum-flavored alcoholic beverage containing fruit wine. A method for producing a plum-flavored beverage having an alcohol content of 15 v/v% or less, the method comprising the steps of adjusting the content of ethyl hexanoate to 50 μg/L or more and 2000 μg/L or less , adjusting the content of propylene glycol to 100 mg/L or more and 3000 mg/L or less , and adjusting the content of ethyl cinnamate to 80 μg/L or more and 1000 μg/L or less. A method for improving the flavor of a plum-flavored beverage, characterized in that the plum-flavored beverage has an alcohol content of 15 v/v% or less and contains 50 μg/L to 2000 μg/L of ethyl hexanoate, and further contains 100 mg/L to 3000 mg/L of propylene glycol and 80 μg/L to 1000 μg/L of ethyl cinnamate, thereby enhancing or improving the green plum flavor, mellowness, and gorgeousness.