JP7750647B2 - Flavor enhancer for tea-based alcoholic beverages - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a flavor improver for tea-based alcoholic beverages.

Many tea-based products are available on the alcoholic beverage market, and various attempts are being made to improve the flavor of such beverages.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technology that uses sugar derived from fruit juice to provide a tea-based alcoholic beverage that is free of impurities such as alcohol stickiness, bitterness, and astringency. Patent Document 2 describes a technology that controls the size of tea particles to provide a tea-based alcoholic beverage that is satisfying to drink and also has an alcoholic flavor. Patent Document 3 describes a technology that reduces the bitterness of tea-based alcoholic beverages by mixing tea extract, alcohol, and bagasse extract derived from sugarcane.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-99420 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-216936 JP 2012-147775 A

The inventors have discovered that tastes are inharmonious in unsweetened, neutral, non-carbonated, bottled tea-based alcoholic beverages. "Taste inharmonious" here refers to harshness, astringency, irritating bitterness, a sense of separation of flavors, spiciness, burning sensation, off-flavors, and lack of sharpness, and is clearly distinct from the flavors perceived in alcohol alone or tea alone. The inventors have then discovered that adding soft fruit extract or citrus extract to tea-based alcoholic beverages can suppress the off-flavors and lack of sharpness that cause taste inharmonious beverages. The present invention is based on this finding.

The present invention therefore provides a flavor improver for suppressing the unpleasant taste and lack of sharpness of tea-based alcoholic beverages.

That is, the present invention provides the following inventions.
(1) A flavor improver for suppressing the unpleasant taste and lack of sharpness of tea-based alcoholic beverages, comprising a soft fruit extract or a citrus extract.
(2) The flavor improver according to (1) above, wherein the soft fruit extract is a tropical fruit extract.
(3) The flavor improver according to (2) above, wherein the tropical fruit extract is mango extract or avocado extract.
(4) The flavor improver according to (1) above, wherein the citrus extract is an orange extract.
(5) The flavor improver according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the alcohol concentration of the tea-based alcoholic beverage is 1 to 10 v/v%.
(6) The flavor improver according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the pH of the tea-based alcoholic beverage is 5.0 to 7.5.
(7) The flavor improver according to any one of (1) to (6), wherein the tea-based alcoholic beverage is a non-carbonated beverage.
(8) A method for producing a tea-based alcoholic beverage, the method comprising adding the flavor improver according to any one of (1) to (7) above during the production process of the tea-based alcoholic beverage.
(9) The method according to (8) above, wherein the alcohol concentration of the tea-based alcoholic beverage is 1 to 10 v/v%.
(10) The method according to (8) or (9), wherein the pH of the tea-based alcoholic beverage is 5.0 to 7.5.
(11) The method according to any one of (8) to (10), wherein the tea-based alcoholic beverage is a non-carbonated beverage.
(12) A method for suppressing the unpleasant taste and lack of sharpness of a tea-based alcoholic beverage, the method comprising adding a flavor improver according to any one of (1) to (7) above during the production process of the tea-based alcoholic beverage.
(13) The method according to (12) above, wherein the alcohol concentration of the tea-based alcoholic beverage is 1 to 10 v/v%.
(14) The method according to (12) or (13) above, wherein the pH of the tea-based alcoholic beverage is 5.0 to 7.5.
(15) The method according to any one of (12) to (14), wherein the tea-based alcoholic beverage is a non-carbonated beverage.
(16) A tea-based alcoholic beverage comprising the flavor improver according to any one of (1) to (7).
(17) The tea-based alcoholic beverage according to (16), having an alcohol concentration of 1 to 10 v/v%.
(18) A tea-based alcoholic beverage according to (16) or (17) above, having a pH of 5.0 to 7.5.
(19) The tea-based alcoholic beverage according to any one of (16) to (18), which is a non-carbonated beverage.
(20) A non-carbonated tea-based alcoholic beverage having an alcohol concentration of 1 to 10 v/v% and a pH of 5.0 to 7.5, comprising a soft fruit extract or a citrus extract.
(21) The tea-based alcoholic beverage according to (20), wherein the soft fruit extract is a tropical fruit extract.
(22) The tea-based alcoholic beverage according to (21), wherein the tropical fruit extract is mango extract or avocado extract.
(23) A tea-based alcoholic beverage according to (20), wherein the citrus extract is an orange extract.

According to the present invention, the unpleasant taste and lack of sharpness of tea-based alcoholic beverages can be suppressed. According to the present invention, it is also possible to suppress the bitterness and astringency of tea-based alcoholic beverages. According to the present invention, it is also possible to suppress the irritating bitterness of tea-based alcoholic beverages.

Specific Description of the Invention

In this invention, "alcoholic beverage" means a beverage with an alcohol content of 1% or more that is considered an alcoholic beverage under the Liquor Tax Act.

In the present invention, a "tea-based alcoholic beverage" refers to an alcoholic beverage containing tea or its aqueous extract and having the flavor of that tea. The amount of tea or its aqueous extract is not particularly limited and can be determined appropriately by one skilled in the art depending on the flavor strength of the tea used and the flavor strength desired to be imparted to the tea-based alcoholic beverage. For example, when producing a tea-based alcoholic beverage, an aqueous extract of tea can be produced in the same manner as when drinking the tea alone, and the resulting aqueous extract can be mixed with other ingredients. The aqueous extract of tea can be produced by extraction with water at a temperature appropriate for the tea. The temperature and extraction time can be determined appropriately by one skilled in the art depending on the flavor strength of the tea used and the flavor strength desired to be imparted to the tea-based alcoholic beverage. The proportion of tea used relative to the total mass of the tea-based alcoholic beverage can be determined appropriately by one skilled in the art and is not particularly limited, but can be, for example, 0.01 to 5% by mass, preferably 0.01 to 1.0% by mass.

In the present invention, "tea" refers to teas that are generally recognized as teas and are extracted with water or hot water for drinking. Examples of such teas include green tea, roasted green tea, black tea, oolong tea, grain tea, rooibos tea, and blended tea.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, tea leaves belonging to the Camellia sinensis species can be used. Examples of tea that can be used include unfermented teas such as green tea leaves, such as sencha, gyokuro, matcha, kamairicha, bancha, and hojicha, as well as semi-fermented teas such as oolong tea, fermented teas such as black tea, and post-fermented teas such as pu-erh tea.

In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tea used is one that, when an aqueous extract of tea is prepared in the same manner as when tea is consumed alone, contains polyphenols. Here, "polyphenols" refers to components having multiple phenolic hydroxyl groups within the molecule. Tea-derived polyphenols include not only primary polyphenols such as catechins and proanthocyanidins, but also secondary polyphenols such as theasinensins, oolongtheanin, theaflavins, and thearubigins, which are products of their oxidative polymerization. In the present invention, the polyphenol content can be defined as the amount of tannins. This amount of tannin can be measured using the ferric tartrate method, which is the standard for evaluating the polyphenol content of teas (see "The Chemistry and Function of Green Tea, Black Tea, and Oolong Tea" by Toshiro Nakabayashi et al., Kogaku Publishing, p. 137). In this measurement method, the absorbance (540 nm) of the purple component produced by reacting polyphenols in the liquid with the iron tartrate reagent can be measured, and quantified using a calibration curve prepared using ethyl gallate as the standard substance. The tannin content can be calculated by multiplying the thus obtained quantitative value by 1.5. The amount of tea-derived polyphenols contained in the tea-based alcoholic beverage of the present invention is preferably 10 to 100 mg/100 mL, more preferably 15 to 80 mg/100 mL, and even more preferably 20 to 60 mg/100 mL, in terms of tannin content.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention, roasted green tea, black tea, or a mixture thereof is used as the tea.

The flavor improver of the present invention is a flavor improver for suppressing the unpleasant flavor and lack of sharpness of tea-based alcoholic beverages. The flavor improver of the present invention contains, as an active ingredient, a soft fruit extract or a citrus extract (hereinafter, these extracts may be collectively referred to as "fruit extract").

In the present invention, "soft fruit" refers to any of pome fruits, stone fruits, berries, and tropical and subtropical fruits. Examples of pome fruits include apples and pears (e.g., Japanese pears, Western pears, etc.). Examples of stone fruits include apricots, peaches, plums, and plums. Examples of tropical fruits include mangoes, pineapples, guavas, bananas, kiwifruits, papayas, passion fruit, acerola, and avocados. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, tropical fruits are used as soft fruits, and more preferably, mangoes, avocados, or mixtures thereof are used.

Examples of citrus fruits include lemon, grapefruit, orange, mandarin, shikuwasa, iyokan, bundan, kumquat, bergamot, lime, yuzu, sudachi, and kabosu, with orange being preferred.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the flavor improver of the present invention contains, as an active ingredient, mango extract, avocado extract, orange extract, or any mixture thereof.

The above extracts are produced by common methods for producing fruit extracts. Examples of such methods include extracting fresh or dried fruit with a solvent such as water, hot water, or ethanol; steam distilling fresh or dried fruit; and supercritical fluid extraction of fresh or dried fruit. Fresh or dried fruit may be used as is, but to improve the efficiency of the extraction process, it may be processed by crushing, grinding, or pelleting. Furthermore, fresh or dried fruit may be subjected to an enzymatic treatment to decompose solid matter prior to extraction. The enzyme used in this enzymatic treatment can be selected appropriately by those skilled in the art, but is preferably at least one enzyme selected from the group consisting of cellulase, hemicellulase, and pectinase (including any combination of these enzymes), and more preferably a combination of these three enzymes. Conditions such as the amount of enzyme added, the pH of the reaction solution, and the temperature and time of the enzymatic treatment can be determined appropriately by those skilled in the art. This enzymatic treatment does not require complete decomposition of the solid matter; a certain degree of decomposition is sufficient. After the enzyme treatment is complete, it is desirable to perform an enzyme inactivation treatment. For example, this can be done by incubating the mixture for about 10 minutes at a temperature at which the protein denatures (e.g., 80°C).

After the extraction process is complete, the filtrate of the resulting mixture can be used as the flavor improver of the present invention. From the perspective of storage stability, the flavor improver of the present invention can be preserved by adding a preservative whose safety as a food product, such as ethanol. The flavor improver of the present invention can also be in the form of a flavoring.

The flavor improver of the present invention preferably does not have a strong aroma compared to the tea flavor so as not to adversely affect the tea flavor of the tea-based alcoholic beverage of the present invention. The strength of the fruit flavor in the fruit extract, which is the active ingredient of the flavor improver of the present invention, can be adjusted as appropriate by those skilled in the art by adjusting the amount of fruit used in the extraction and various extraction conditions, etc.

By adding the flavor improver of the present invention to a tea-based alcoholic beverage, the off-flavor and lack of sharpness of the tea-based alcoholic beverage can be suppressed. Therefore, according to another aspect of the present invention, a tea-based alcoholic beverage containing the flavor improver of the present invention is provided. Such a beverage can be produced by adding the flavor improver of the present invention to the raw materials for the beverage during the production process of the tea-based alcoholic beverage. According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for suppressing the off-flavor and lack of sharpness of a tea-based alcoholic beverage, which comprises adding the flavor improver of the present invention to the raw materials for the beverage during the production process of the tea-based alcoholic beverage.

The content (i.e., amount added) of the flavor improver of the present invention in a tea-based alcoholic beverage is not particularly limited and can be determined appropriately by those skilled in the art depending on the type of tea and the desired level of improvement. Those skilled in the art can determine the optimal amount of flavor improver for a particular beverage by actually preparing tea-based alcoholic beverage samples containing the flavor improver of the present invention at various concentrations and confirming the desired effect for each sample. For example, extract content can be considered as an indicator of the amount of flavor components contained in a fruit extract. Such extract content can be measured, for example, using a vibration density meter. Quantification of extract content using a vibration density meter can be performed, for example, in accordance with 5-3 B) of the National Tax Agency's Prescribed Analysis Method (National Tax Agency Instruction No. 1, January 11, 1961; National Tax Agency Instruction No. 6, 2007). When specifying the content (i.e., the amount added) of the flavor improver of the present invention in a tea-based alcoholic beverage using this extract, it can be, for example, 0.000001 w/v% to 0.06 w/v% (extract equivalent), preferably 0.000002 w/v% to 0.05 w/v%.

The alcohol concentration of the tea-based alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably 1 to 10 v/v%. Furthermore, because the harsh flavor and lack of sharpness of tea-based alcoholic beverages become more pronounced as the alcohol concentration increases, the present invention is advantageous for tea-based alcoholic beverages with an alcohol concentration of 3 v/v% or more, preferably 6 v/v% or more. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the alcohol concentration of the tea-based alcoholic beverage of the present invention is 3 to 10 v/v%, preferably 3 to 9 v/v%, or 6 to 10 v/v%, preferably 6 to 9 v/v%.

The tea-based alcoholic beverage of the present invention may be one into which carbon dioxide has been injected, i.e., a carbonated beverage. However, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tea-based alcoholic beverage of the present invention is a non-carbonated beverage.

The pH of the tea-based alcoholic beverage of the present invention is not particularly limited, but is preferably adjusted to 5.0 to 7.5. The pH of the beverage can be easily measured using a commercially available pH meter.

The tea-based alcoholic beverage of the present invention may contain other ingredients used in beverage production. Examples of such other ingredients include sweeteners (e.g., sugar, glucose, fructose, oligosaccharides, isomerized liquid sugar syrup, sugar alcohols, high-intensity sweeteners, etc.), acidulants (e.g., citric acid, malic acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid, phosphoric acid, phytic acid, itaconic acid, fumaric acid, gluconic acid, adipic acid, acetic acid, or salts thereof, etc.), colorants, and food additives (e.g., foaming and foam retention enhancers, bittering agents, preservatives, antioxidants, thickening stabilizers, emulsifiers, dietary fiber, pH adjusters, etc.).

The tea-based alcoholic beverage of the present invention is preferably provided as a packaged beverage. The container used may be any container commonly used for filling beverages, such as a metal can, a barrel, a plastic bottle (e.g., a PET bottle or cup), a paper container, a bottle, or a pouch, with metal cans, barrels, plastic bottles (e.g., a PET bottle), or bottles being preferred.

Furthermore, according to the present specification, for the purpose of providing a tea-based alcoholic beverage with a novel flavor, there is provided a non-carbonated tea-based alcoholic beverage having an alcohol concentration of 1 to 10 v/v% and a pH of 5.0 to 7.5, which contains the soft fruit extract or citrus extract described above.

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

Example 1: Examination of the flavor specific to tea-based alcoholic beverages Samples of tea-based alcoholic beverages used for sensory evaluation were prepared as follows: Various commercially available teas (products intended for drinking as is) were added to an aqueous solution containing alcohol, and the alcohol concentration of the resulting mixture was adjusted to 3 v/v%, 6 v/v%, or 9 v/v%, and the mixture was then bottled and sterilized.

Each sample was subjected to a sensory evaluation test. Specifically, six well-trained panelists, experienced in evaluating beer, chuhai, and cocktail-type beverages, evaluated the three elements of taste incongruity - (i) harshness/astringency, (ii) pungent bitterness, and (iii) unpleasant flavor/lack of sharpness - on a scale of 1 (equivalent to an alcohol concentration of 0 v/v%) to 5 (clearly noticeable even without comparing with an alcohol concentration of 0 v/v%) (in increments of 0.5). The results are shown in the table below. Evaluation results are expressed as the mean score ± standard deviation.

The table above shows that there are inharmonious flavors when combining tea and alcohol, and this is particularly noticeable when combining black tea and roasted green tea.

Example 2: Test of adding fruit extract to roasted tea-based alcoholic beverage. Samples of tea-based alcoholic beverages for sensory evaluation were prepared as follows. First, roasted tea extract (tannin content in beverage sample: 25 mg/100 mL) was added to an aqueous alcohol-containing solution, and then mango extract (steam distillation extract, extract content 0.02 w/v%), orange extract (ethanol extract, extract content 5 w/v%), or avocado extract (steam distillation extract, extract content 0.02 w/v%) was added at concentrations of 0.01 w/v%, 0.1 w/v%, or 0.5 w/v%. The alcohol concentration of the resulting mixture was adjusted to 3 v/v%, 6 v/v%, or 9 v/v%, and the mixture was then packaged and sterilized. The extract content was measured using a vibration density meter in accordance with 5-3 B) of the National Tax Agency's analytical method (National Tax Agency Instruction No. 1, January 11, 1961, National Tax Agency Instruction No. 6, 2007).

Each sample was subjected to a sensory evaluation test. Specifically, six well-trained panelists, experienced in evaluating beer, chuhai, and cocktail-type beverages, evaluated the three elements of taste incongruity - (i) harshness/astringency, (ii) pungent bitterness, and (iii) unpleasant flavor/lack of sharpness - on a scale of 1 (equivalent to an alcohol concentration of 0 v/v%) to 5 (clearly noticeable even without comparing with an alcohol concentration of 0 v/v%) (in increments of 0.5). The results are shown in the table below. Evaluation results are expressed as the mean score ± standard deviation.

The results showed that adding the above fruit extracts suppressed the unpleasant taste and lack of sharpness that occurs when roasted green tea is combined with alcohol. The addition of the above fruit extracts also suppressed the harsh, astringent, and irritating bitterness. Therefore, it was found that the inharmonious tastes that occur when roasted green tea is combined with alcohol can be improved by adding fruit extracts.

Example 3: Test of adding fruit extracts to black tea-based alcoholic beverages Tea-based alcoholic beverage samples for sensory evaluation were prepared as follows: First, black tea extract (tannin content in beverage sample: 50 mg/100 mL) was added to an aqueous alcohol-containing solution, and then mango extract (steam distillation extract, extract content: 0.02 w/v%), orange extract (ethanol extract, extract content: 5 w/v%), or avocado extract (steam distillation extract, extract content: 0.02 w/v%) was added at concentrations of 0.01 w/v%, 0.1 w/v%, or 0.5 w/v%, and the alcohol concentration of the resulting mixture was adjusted to 3 v/v%, 6 v/v%, or 9 v/v%, and the mixture was then packaged and sterilized. The extract content was measured using a vibration density meter in accordance with 5-3 B) of the National Tax Agency's analytical method (National Tax Agency Instruction No. 1, January 11, 1961, National Tax Agency Instruction No. 6, 2007).

Each sample was subjected to a sensory evaluation test. Specifically, six well-trained panelists, experienced in evaluating beer, chuhai, and cocktail-type beverages, evaluated the three elements of taste incongruity - (i) harshness/astringency, (ii) pungent bitterness, and (iii) unpleasant flavor/lack of sharpness - on a scale of 1 (equivalent to an alcohol concentration of 0 v/v%) to 5 (clearly noticeable even without comparing with an alcohol concentration of 0 v/v%) (in increments of 0.5). The results are shown in the table below. Evaluation results are expressed as the mean score ± standard deviation.

The results showed that adding the above fruit extracts suppressed the unpleasant taste and lack of sharpness that occurs when black tea and alcohol are combined. The addition of the above fruit extracts also suppressed the harsh, astringent taste and irritating bitterness. Therefore, it was found that the inharmonious tastes that occur when black tea and alcohol are combined can be improved by adding fruit extracts.

Claims (12)

A flavor improver for suppressing unpleasant flavors and a lack of sharpness in a non-carbonated tea-based alcoholic beverage , the flavor improver comprising a tropical fruit extract or a citrus fruit extract,
The tea-based alcoholic beverage has a pH of 5.0 to 7.5,
A flavor improver, wherein the tropical fruit extract is a mango extract or an avocado extract (excluding cases where the tea-based alcoholic beverage to which the flavor improver has been added has an octanal content of 0.005 ppm or more and 0.050 ppm or less, calculated as pure alcohol). The flavor improver according to claim 1, wherein the citrus fruit extract is an orange fruit extract. The flavor improver according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the alcohol concentration of the tea-based alcoholic beverage is 1 to 10 v/v%. The flavor improver according to claim 1, wherein the mango fruit extract or avocado fruit extract is a steam-distilled extract. The flavor improver according to claim 2, wherein the orange fruit extract is an ethanol extract. A method for producing a tea-based alcoholic beverage, comprising adding a flavor improver according to any one of claims 1 to 5 during the production process of the tea-based alcoholic beverage, wherein the content of the flavor improver in the tea-based alcoholic beverage is 0.000002 w/v% to 0.025 w/v% (converted to extract content) (however, this does not include cases where the tea-based alcoholic beverage to which the flavor improver has been added has an octanal content of 0.005 ppm or more and 0.050 ppm or less, converted to pure alcohol) . A method for suppressing unpleasant flavors and poor sharpness in tea-based alcoholic beverages, comprising adding a flavor improver according to any one of claims 1 to 5 during the production process of a tea-based alcoholic beverage, wherein the content of the flavor improver in the tea-based alcoholic beverage is 0.000002 w/v% to 0.025 w/v% (converted to extract content) (however, this does not include cases where the tea-based alcoholic beverage to which the flavor improver has been added has an octanal content of 0.005 ppm or more and 0.050 ppm or less, converted to pure alcohol) . A tea-based alcoholic beverage comprising the flavor improver according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the content of the flavor improver in the tea-based alcoholic beverage is 0.000002 w/v% to 0.025 w/v% (converted to extract content) (excluding cases where the tea-based alcoholic beverage to which the flavor improver has been added has an octanal content of 0.005 ppm or more and 0.050 ppm or less in terms of pure alcohol) . A non-carbonated tea-based alcoholic beverage having an alcohol concentration of 1 to 10 v/v% and a pH of 5.0 to 7.5 , comprising a tropical fruit extract or a citrus fruit extract;
the tropical fruit extract is a mango fruit extract or an avocado fruit extract;
A tea-based alcoholic beverage having a tropical fruit extract or citrus fruit extract content of 0.000002 w/v% to 0.025 w/v% (converted to extract content) (excluding cases where the octanal content of the tea-based alcoholic beverage is 0.005 ppm or more and 0.050 ppm or less in terms of pure alcohol). The tea-based alcoholic beverage according to claim 9, wherein the citrus fruit extract is orange fruit extract. The tea-based alcoholic beverage according to claim 9, wherein the mango fruit extract or avocado fruit extract is a steam-distilled extract. The tea-based alcoholic beverage according to claim 10, wherein the orange fruit extract is an ethanol extract.