Low-alcohol beer-taste beverage

Abstract

To provide a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage excellent in beer-like flavor at the top and enhanced in complex taste derived from brewing.SOLUTION: A non-alcohol beer-taste beverage comprising an aroma composition comprising myrcene in an amount of 0. 0475ppb or more, β - ionone in an amount of 0. 000475ppb or more, linalool in an amount of 5. 8125ppb or more, citronellol in an amount of 0. 7025ppb or more, geraniol in an amount of 0. 115ppb or more, and α - eudesmol in an amount of 0. 09ppb or more.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage. A "low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage" refers to a beer-flavored beverage with an alcohol content of less than 1% (V / V). The term "low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage" also includes non-alcohol beer-flavored beverages that contain substantially no alcohol. Furthermore, the term "alcohol" refers to ethanol. [Background technology]

[0002] Low-alcohol beer-flavored beverages are required to have a flavor similar to that of beer, except that they contain a low amount of alcohol.

[0003] Patent document 1 describes a process for enriching the aroma profile of beverages, particularly beer and wine, by extracting aromas from a base beverage using pervaporation and adding the extracted aromas to a fully or partially dealcoholized beverage.

[0004] In the process of Patent Document 1, aroma compounds such as higher alcohols and higher esters are selectively permeated from a fermented alcoholic beverage through a hydrophobic membrane used in a pervaporation process, and the resulting aroma-enriched permeate is added to a dealcoholized beverage to improve its sensory quality without significantly increasing the ethanol content.

[0005] Patent document 2 describes a method for improving the drinking experience of a fermented malt beverage, characterized by adjusting the contents of furaneol, linalool, and β-myrcene in the fermented malt beverage so that the furaneol content is 350 ppb or more, the linalool content is 10 ppb or more, and the ratio of the linalool content to the β-myrcene content ([linalool content] / [β-myrcene content]) is 10 or more.

[0006] According to the method of Patent Document 2, it is possible to improve the drinking experience of a fermented malt beverage without increasing the proportion of malt used. The fermented malt beverage referred to in Patent Document 2 may be an alcoholic beverage with an alcohol concentration of 1.0% by volume or more, or may be a so-called non-alcoholic beverage with an alcohol concentration of less than 1.0% by volume. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2010-517559 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-183126 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Beer contains a wide variety of aroma components, making it difficult to completely reproduce its aroma composition. Therefore, low-alcohol beer-flavored beverages often lack the beer-like flavor and complex flavor inherent in brewing. For example, when a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage is produced by distilling off the alcohol content from an alcohol-containing beer-flavored beverage, the resulting low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage often has unpleasant odors such as natto odor, drool odor, burnt odor, or potato odor. These unpleasant odors are perceived immediately after sipping the beverage and have a significant adverse effect on the beverage's palatability.

[0009] The state of a beverage immediately after it is taken into the drinker's mouth is generally described as the "top." For example, the aroma of a beverage perceived immediately after taking a sip is called the "top aroma." The top aroma of a beer-flavored beverage includes the aroma of highly volatile components, such as alcohol, which are present in large amounts.

[0010] The reason why low-alcohol beer-flavored beverages obtained by distilling off the alcohol from beer-flavored beverages have unpleasant aromas such as natto, drool, burnt, and potato-like notes in the top notes is thought to be that the removal of alcohol-derived aromas accentuates the aroma of low-volatility aroma components, resulting in a loss of the original flavor balance of beer.

[0011] Patent Document 1 does not describe permeating highly volatile aroma components from beer, and adding the high-concentration aroma compound permeate of Patent Document 1 to a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage does not provide an effective way to improve the flavor balance of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage. Furthermore, highly volatile aroma components in beer are not limited to furaneol, linalool, and β-myrcene, and the method of Patent Document 2, which features adjusting the content of these components, is insufficient in improving the flavor balance of a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage.

[0012] The present invention solves the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage that has an excellent beer-like flavor at the top and an enhanced complex flavor derived from brewing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] The present invention comprises 0.0475 ppb or more of myrcene and β-ionone at 0.000475 ppb or more, Linalool above 5.8125 ppb, Citronellol at or above 0.7025 ppb; Geraniol at or above 0.115 ppb, α-Eudesmol at 0.09 ppb or more, The present invention provides a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage containing an aroma composition comprising:

[0014] In one embodiment, the aroma composition contains 0.0475 to 1.0 ppb of myrcene, 0.000475 to 0.010 ppb of β-ionone, 5.8125 to 71.33 ppb of linalool, 0.7025 to 10.0 ppb of citronellol, 0.115 to 1.4 ppb of geraniol, and 0.090 to 1.1 ppb of α-eudesmol.

[0015] In one embodiment, the aroma components of the aroma composition are derived from a wort fermentation liquid.

[0016] In one embodiment, the wort fermentation liquid is a bottom-fermented wort liquid.

[0017] In one embodiment, the wort fermentation liquid has a malt usage ratio of 50% or more.

[0018] In one embodiment, the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage contains a dealcoholized wort fermentation liquid.

[0019] The present invention also provides a method for producing a fermented wort mash comprising the steps of: adjusting the carbon dioxide pressure of the fermented wort liquor to 0.05 to 0.25 MPa; a step of vaporizing carbon dioxide and aroma components from the fermented wort liquid by spraying the fermented wort liquid under reduced pressure; a step of condensing the vaporized aroma components to obtain an aroma composition; adding the obtained aroma composition to a non-alcohol beer-taste beverage; The present invention provides a method for producing a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage, which comprises:

[0020] The present invention also provides a method for producing a fermented wort mash comprising the steps of: adjusting the carbon dioxide pressure of the fermented wort liquor to 0.05 to 0.25 MPa; a step of vaporizing carbon dioxide and aroma components from the fermented wort liquid by spraying the fermented wort liquid under reduced pressure; a step of condensing the vaporized aroma components to obtain an aroma composition; adding the obtained aroma composition to a non-alcohol beer-taste beverage; To provide a method for enhancing the beer-like flavor and complex flavor derived from brewing of a non-alcohol beer-flavored beverage, comprising:

[0021] In one embodiment, the non-alcohol beer-taste beverage to which the aroma composition is added is obtained by dealcoholizing a fermented wort liquid.

[0022] In one embodiment, the fragrance composition contains 0.0475 ppb or more of myrcene, 0.000475 ppb or more of β-ionone, 5.8125 ppb or more of linalool, 0.7025 ppb or more of citronellol, 0.115 ppb or more of geraniol, and 0.09 ppb or more of α-eudesmol.

[0023] In one embodiment, the aroma composition contains 0.0475 to 1.0 ppb of myrcene, 0.000475 to 0.010 ppb of β-ionone, 5.8125 to 71.33 ppb of linalool, 0.7025 to 10.0 ppb of citronellol, 0.115 to 1.4 ppb of geraniol, and 0.090 to 1.1 ppb of α-eudesmol. [Effects of the Invention]

[0024] According to the present invention, a low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage is provided that has an excellent beer-like flavor at the top and an enhanced complex flavor derived from brewing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] <Fragrance composition> In the present invention, the aroma composition refers to a composition containing specific amounts of the aroma components of low-alcohol beer-taste beverages: myrcene, β-ionone, linalool, citronellol, geraniol, and α-eudesmol. The amounts of the aroma components contained in the aroma composition are expressed as the concentrations of the aroma components contained in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage.

[0026] When the aroma components are combined in amounts equal to or greater than a specific level, the unpleasant odor is reduced or masked, allowing the drinker to detect a beer-like aroma at the top. Therefore, the content of each aroma component may be adjusted to a range that provides the effect of reducing or masking the unpleasant odor, and there is no need to specify an upper limit in order to solve the problem of the invention.

[0027] The aroma components may be artificially chemically synthesized or may be derived from natural products, for example, those obtained as fermentation metabolites by yeast. From the viewpoint of optimizing the content ratio of each aroma component, aroma components derived from a wort fermentation liquid obtained as a fermentation metabolite by yeast are particularly preferred. Furthermore, when an aroma component has isomers (e.g., structural isomers and optical isomers), the aroma component may be any isomer or a mixture of these isomers.

[0028] Myrcene has the formula C 10 H 16 and is an aromatic component having a fragrant aroma. In the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the concentration of myrcene is 0.0475 ppb or more, preferably 0.095 ppb or more, and more preferably 0.1425 ppb or more, from the viewpoint of improving the flavor of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage. The upper limit of the myrcene concentration is, for example, 1.0 ppb or less, preferably 0.57 ppb or less, and more preferably 0.50 ppb or less. The upper and lower limits of the numerical ranges in this specification can be arbitrarily selected and combined.

[0029] In one embodiment, the concentration of myrcene in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is preferably 0.0475 to 1.0 ppb, more preferably 0.095 to 0.57 ppb, and even more preferably 0.1425 to 0.50 ppb.

[0030] β-ionone has the formula C 13 H 20β-ionone is a terpenoid represented by the formula (I) and is an aroma component with a sweet, fruity aroma. From the viewpoint of improving the flavor of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the concentration of β-ionone is 0.000475 ppb or more, preferably 0.00095 ppb or more, and more preferably 0.001425 ppb or more. The upper limit of the β-ionone concentration is, for example, 0.010 ppb or less, preferably 0.0058 ppb or less, and more preferably 0.0010 ppb or less.

[0031] In one embodiment, the concentration of β-ionone in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is preferably 0.000475 to 0.010 ppb, more preferably 0.00095 to 0.0058 ppb, and even more preferably 0.001425 to 0.0010 ppb.

[0032] Linalool has the formula C 10 H 18 It is a monoterpene alcohol represented by the formula O, and is an aroma component with a floral aroma. In the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage of the present invention, the concentration of linalool is 5.8125 ppb or more, preferably 11.625 ppb or more, more preferably 17.4375 ppb or more, from the viewpoint of improving the flavor of the low-alcohol beer-flavored beverage. In addition, the upper limit of the linalool concentration is, for example, 71.33 ppb or less, preferably 30.0 ppb or less, more preferably 20.0 ppb or less.

[0033] In one embodiment, the concentration of linalool in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is preferably 5.8125 to 71.33 ppb, more preferably 11.625 to 30.0 ppb, and even more preferably 17.4375 to 20.0 ppb.

[0034] Citronellol has the formula C 10 H 20Citronellol is a monoterpene alcohol represented by the formula (I) and is an aroma component having a rose-like aroma. In the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the citronellol concentration is 0.7025 ppb or more, preferably 1.405 ppb or more, and more preferably 2.1075 ppb or more, from the viewpoint of improving the flavor of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage. The upper limit of the citronellol concentration is, for example, 10.0 ppb or less, preferably 8.63 ppb or less, and more preferably 5.0 ppb or less.

[0035] In one embodiment, the concentration of citronellol in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is preferably 0.7025 to 10.0 ppb, more preferably 1.405 to 8.63 ppb, and even more preferably 2.1075 to 5.0 ppb.

[0036] Geraniol is C 10 H 18 Geraniol is a monoterpene alcohol represented by the formula (I) and is an aroma component having a rose-like aroma. In the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the concentration of geraniol is 0.115 ppb or more, preferably 0.230 ppb or more, and more preferably 0.345 ppb or more, from the viewpoint of improving the flavor of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage. The upper limit of the geraniol concentration is, for example, 1.4 ppb or less, preferably 1.0 ppb or less, and more preferably 0.50 ppb or less.

[0037] In one embodiment, the concentration of geraniol in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is preferably 0.115 to 1.4 ppb, more preferably 0.230 to 1.0 ppb, and even more preferably 0.345 to 0.50 ppb.

[0038] α-Eudesmol has the formula C 15 H 26O, also known as α-eudesmol, is an aroma component that provides a refreshing taste. In the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage of the present invention, the concentration of α-eudesmol is 0.090 ppb or more, preferably 0.18 ppb or more, and more preferably 0.27 ppb or more, from the viewpoint of improving the flavor of the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage. The upper limit of the α-eudesmol concentration is, for example, 1.1 ppb or less, preferably 1.0 ppb or less, and more preferably 0.50 ppb or less.

[0039] In one embodiment, the concentration of α-eudesmol in the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage is preferably 0.090 to 1.1 ppb, more preferably 0.18 to 1.0 ppb, and even more preferably 0.27 to 0.50 ppb.

[0040] <Fermented wort> Generally, a sugar solution obtained by enzymatically treating raw materials containing malt is called wort. Wort fermentation liquid refers to a liquid obtained by fermenting the wort used in producing regular beer. The wort fermentation liquid may be a top-fermented wort liquid or a bottom-fermented wort liquid. Top-fermented wort liquid refers to a wort fermentation liquid obtained by inoculating wort with top-fermenting yeast and fermenting it under normal fermentation conditions, for example, at 15 to 25°C for several days. Bottom-fermented wort liquid refers to a wort fermentation liquid obtained by inoculating wort with bottom-fermenting yeast and fermenting it under normal fermentation conditions, for example, at around 10°C for about a week.

[0041] <Production of fermented wort> The method for producing the fermented wort liquid is described below.

[0042] First, crushed malt, secondary ingredients such as barley, and warm water are added to a mash tank and mixed to prepare a mash. The preparation of the mash can be carried out by conventional methods, for example, by first holding the mixture at 35-60°C for 20-90 minutes to decompose proteins derived from the raw materials into amino acids, etc., and then proceeding to the saccharification process. In this process, enzymes such as saccharifying enzymes and proteases, as described below, and flavoring ingredients such as spices and herbs, may be added in addition to the main and secondary ingredients, as needed.

[0043] The mash is then gradually heated and maintained at a predetermined temperature for a certain period of time, whereby the starch is saccharified using enzymes derived from malt or enzymes added to the mash. The temperature and time during saccharification can be determined appropriately taking into consideration the type of enzyme used, the amount of mash, the desired quality of the fermented wort, etc. For example, saccharification can be performed by maintaining the mash at 60-72°C for 30-90 minutes. After saccharification, the mash is maintained at 76-78°C for approximately 10 minutes, and then filtered in a wort filtration tank to obtain a clear sugar solution. Furthermore, an appropriate amount of enzyme may be added during saccharification, as needed.

[0044] The grains subjected to saccharification contain malt. The malt content in the grains subjected to saccharification is, for example, 25% by weight or more, preferably 50% by weight or more, and more preferably 67% by weight or more. The grains subjected to saccharification may be 100% malt. The proportion (% by weight) of malt relative to all raw materials excluding water is referred to as the malt usage ratio. The higher the malt content in the grains, the stronger the malt-derived umami, richness, and drinkability of the resulting wort.

[0045] "Secondary ingredients" refers to ingredients other than malt and hops. Examples of such secondary ingredients include starch ingredients such as barley, wheat, cornstarch, corn grits, rice, and koryan, as well as carbohydrate ingredients such as liquid sugar and sugar. Here, liquid sugar is produced by decomposing and saccharifying starch with acid or a saccharifying enzyme, and primarily contains glucose, maltose, maltotriose, and the like. Other secondary ingredients include spices, herbs, and fruits used to impart or improve flavor.

[0046] A saccharifying enzyme is an enzyme that breaks down starch to produce sugar, and examples of such an enzyme include α-amylase, glucoamylase, and pullulanase.

[0047] The wort boiling operation may be carried out according to the method and conditions normally used in beer production. For example, a sugar solution with an adjusted pH is transferred to a boiling kettle and boiled. Hops are added from the start of boiling the sugar solution until the sugar solution is left to stand in the whirlpool. Hop extract or components extracted from hops may be used as the hops. The sugar solution is then transferred to a settling tank called a whirlpool, where hop dregs and coagulated proteins resulting from boiling are removed, and the sugar solution is then cooled to an appropriate temperature using a plate cooler. Wort is obtained by the above wort boiling operation.

[0048] The obtained wort is fermented. The wort fermentation may be carried out according to a conventional method. For example, the cooled wort is inoculated with beer yeast and transferred to a fermentation tank for alcoholic fermentation. The yeast to be inoculated may be either top-fermenting yeast or bottom-fermenting yeast, but bottom-fermenting yeast is preferred from the viewpoint of suppressing sourness, astringency, etc.

[0049] The final visual attenuation of the wort fermentation liquor is preferably 80% or more. If the final visual attenuation of the wort fermentation liquor is less than 80%, the amino nitrogen is not sufficiently reduced, and a large amount of acid may need to be added to sufficiently lower the pH of the wort fermentation liquor. The final visual attenuation of the wort fermentation liquor of the present invention is preferably 80 to 110%, more preferably 85 to 100%.

[0050] The degree of fermentation is an important indicator of how much fermentation has progressed in fermented beer and how the fermentation has progressed. Furthermore, the final degree of fermentation refers to the ratio of the extract that can be assimilated by brewer's yeast to the original wort extract. Here, the extract that can be assimilated by brewer's yeast is the original wort extract minus the extract contained in the finished beer (i.e., the extract that remains after all the extract that can be used by brewer's yeast has been fermented (referred to as the final extract)). The apparent final degree of fermentation refers to the final degree of fermentation calculated using the value of the final extract and the extract concentration (%) determined from the specific gravity of the apparent extract, i.e., the beer still containing alcohol.

[0051] The term "extract" refers to the non-volatile solids. Depending on the context, the term "extract" may refer to the non-volatile solids themselves, the amount of non-volatile solids, or the concentration of non-volatile solids.

[0052] The final apparent degree of fermentation Vend of the fermented wort can be calculated, for example, by the following formula (1). Vend(%)={(P-Eend) / P}×100 (1) [Where P is the original wort extract and Eend is the apparent final extract.]

[0053] Original wort extract (P) is theoretically calculated from the wort extract value before alcoholic fermentation according to Balling's equation using the alcohol concentration and extract value of the finished beer. Specifically, it can be determined by the method shown in Analytica-EBC (9.4) (2007). Furthermore, apparent final extract (Eend) can be determined by placing beer in a flask, adding a large amount of fresh compressed yeast, and fermenting with stirring at 25°C until the extract value no longer decreases (24 hours), and then measuring the apparent extract value of the remaining beer.

[0054] The apparent final extract (Eend) is calculated from the specific gravity of the final extract, including alcohol, and may therefore be a negative value. As a result, the apparent final fermentation may exceed 100%.

[0055] The apparent final attenuation can be controlled, for example, by adjusting the saccharification conditions, whether or not enzymes are used when saccharifying the raw materials, the types and amounts of raw materials, etc. For example, extending the saccharification time can increase the sugar concentration available to the yeast, thereby increasing the apparent final attenuation.

[0056] After the fermentation is completed, the resulting fermented wort liquid is further aged in a storage tank as an aging process, and then stored and stabilized under low-temperature conditions at about 0° C. Next, as a filtration process, the fermented wort liquid after aging is filtered to remove yeast, proteins, etc., thereby obtaining a fermented wort liquid.

[0057] The resulting wort fermentation liquid contains 1.75 to 8.00% by weight of true extract. If the true extract content is less than 1.75% by weight, the resulting beer-taste beverage may lose its beer-like flavor and may feel watery. On the other hand, if the true extract content exceeds 8.00% by weight, the resulting beer-taste beverage may lose its beer-like crispness. The true extract content is preferably 2.50 to 5.50% by weight, more preferably 3.00 to 5.00% by weight.

[0058] The true extract content of the fermented wort can be measured, for example, by the EBC method (BCOJ Beer Analysis Methods, 7.2 (2004), edited by the Brewers Association of Japan).

[0059] <Production of Fragrance Composition> The aroma composition used in the present invention can be produced, for example, by blending predetermined amounts of each aroma component. In a preferred embodiment, the aroma composition can be produced by vaporizing the aroma components from the fermented wort liquor and recovering the vaporized aroma components.

[0060] One method for vaporizing aroma components from a wort fermentation liquid is to adjust the carbon dioxide pressure of the wort fermentation liquid to 0.05 to 0.25 MPa and spray the wort fermentation liquid under reduced pressure. By adjusting the carbon dioxide pressure before spraying the wort fermentation liquid within the above range, the ratio of the contents of the aroma components can be optimized. The carbon dioxide pressure is preferably adjusted to 0.05 to 0.20 MPa, more preferably 0.15 to 0.20 MPa.

[0061] The ambient pressure when spraying the wort fermentation liquor is preferably 50 to 200 mbar, more preferably 70 to 150 mbar, and even more preferably 80 to 100 mbar. By adjusting the ambient pressure within the above range, the vaporization efficiency of aroma components is improved. The wort fermentation liquor can be sprayed, for example, in a tank whose internal pressure is adjusted to the above range.

[0062] The temperature of the wort fermentation liquid when sprayed is 40 to 70° C., preferably 47 to 68° C., and more preferably 55 to 65° C. By adjusting the temperature within the above range, each aroma component can be efficiently vaporized.

[0063] The vaporized aroma components can be recovered by cooling the mixture in a conventional manner to condense the aroma gas. The condensed liquid is an aroma composition containing the specific aroma components in specific amounts.

[0064] <Production of low-alcohol beer-flavored beverages> The low-alcohol beer-taste beverage of the present invention can be produced by adding a predetermined amount of the aroma composition to a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage. The low-alcohol beer-taste beverage to which the aroma composition is blended may be a fermented low-alcohol beer-taste beverage produced through a fermentation process, or a non-fermented low-alcohol beer-taste beverage produced without a fermentation process.

[0065] From the viewpoint of enhancing the complex flavor derived from brewing, in a preferred embodiment, the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage to which the aroma composition is blended is a fermented low-alcohol beer-taste beverage. From the viewpoint of optimizing the flavor balance, the low-alcohol beer-taste beverage to which the aroma composition is blended is preferably a low-alcohol beer-taste beverage obtained by dealcoholizing a fermented wort liquor from which the aroma composition has been evaporated, i.e., a dealcoholized fermented wort liquor.

[0066] The present invention is further illustrated by the following examples, but is not limited thereto. [Example]

[0067] <Example> [Production of fermented wort] Ground malt, water, and cornstarch were added to a mash kettle and gelatinized at 70°C and liquefied at 100°C. Next, ground malt, enzymes, and warm water were added to a mash tank. After protein resting at approximately 55°C, the liquid was transferred from the mash kettle to a mash tank and saccharified at temperatures ranging from 60°C to 76°C. The saccharified liquid was filtered through a reuter filtration tank and then transferred to a boiling kettle. Hops were added and the mixture was boiled for 60 minutes. After boiling, hot water was added to replace the evaporated water, and the heat trough was removed in a whirlpool tank. The mixture was then cooled to 10°C using a plate cooler to obtain cold wort. Bottom-fermenting brewer's yeast was added to the wort and fermented at approximately 10°C for 7 days, after which the yeast was removed. The mixture was transferred to a tank and aged for 7 days, then cooled to approximately -1°C and stabilized for 14 days. The mixture was then diluted with degassed water and filtered through diatomaceous earth to obtain a fermented wort liquor (bottom-fermented wort liquor).

[0068] [Measurement of linalool, citronellol, myrcene, geraniol, β-ionone, and α-eudesmol concentrations] In the following examples and comparative examples, the concentrations of linalool, β-citronellol, myrcene, geraniol, β-ionone and α-eudesmol were measured by the following methods.

[0069] The concentration of each hop aroma compound was measured using the stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) method. Specifically, β-damascone was added as an internal standard to the final non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage to a concentration of 0.1 ppb. The sample was diluted 5-fold, and 20 ml of the diluted sample was placed in a 30 ml vial. A 47 μl PDMS-coated stir bar (20 mm long; Twister®; Gerstel, Germany) was placed in the vial, capped, and stirred at 40 °C for 2 h to allow the hop aroma compounds to adsorb onto the stir bar. The stir bar was removed from the vial, and after complete removal of water droplets, it was inserted into a GC-MS equipped with a thermal desorption unit (TDU; Gerstel) and a programmable temperature-vaporization inlet (CIS4; Gerstel).

[0070] The GC-MS conditions were as follows: Gas chromatograph: Agilent Technologies 6890 Detector: MSD5973N quadrupole mass spectrometer (Agilent Technologies) Column: DB-WAX capillary column (length: 60 m, inner diameter: 0.25 mm, film thickness: 0.25 μm, manufactured by Agilent Technologies) Injection port: 250°C pulsed splitless injection mode ·Injection volume: 1μL Carrier gas: Helium (1 ml / min) Column temperature setting: 40°C (5 min hold) - (3°C / min) - 240°C (20 min) ·Mass-to-charge ratio: 30~350(m / z) Ionization conditions: 70 eV, single ion-monitoring (SIM) mode Quantitation: Quantitation was performed by comparing the peak area of ​​each aroma component with that of the internal standard. The analytical results are shown in Table 1.

[0071] [Table 1]

[0072] [Production of non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage containing aroma composition] The gas pressure of the wort fermentation liquid obtained above (liquid temperature 0°C) was adjusted to 0.20 MPa, and then the liquid temperature was adjusted to 55 to 65°C using a heat exchanger. The liquid was sprayed into a degassing tank under reduced pressure of around 90 mbar to vaporize carbon dioxide and aroma components. The vaporized aroma components were condensed by cooling to approximately 20°C, yielding an aroma composition.

[0073] The wort fermentation liquid from which the aroma components had been vaporized was heated to around 50°C using a plate cooler. It was then brought into contact with steam heated to around 50°C in a reduced-pressure column at around 90 mbar, allowing the volatile components to adsorb onto the steam, and the alcohol and volatile components were removed. The aroma composition was then returned to the dealcoholized wort fermentation liquid to produce a non-alcohol beer-taste beverage containing the aroma composition. The resulting non-alcohol beer-taste beverage containing the aroma composition was designated Sample 1. The alcohol content of Sample 1 was less than 1%. The analysis results of the aroma components are shown in Table 2.

[0074] [Table 2]

[0075] <Comparative Example 1> [Production of non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage containing aroma composition] An aroma composition-containing non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage was produced in the same manner as in the Example, except that the gas pressure of the fermented wort liquor (liquid temperature: 0°C) before spraying into the degassing tank was adjusted to 0.04 MPa. The resulting aroma composition-containing non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage was designated Sample 2. The alcohol content of Sample 2 was less than 1%. The analysis results of the aroma components are shown in Table 3.

[0076] [Table 3]

[0077] <Comparative Example 2> [Production of non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages not containing aroma compositions] An aroma composition-free non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage was produced in the same manner as in Example, except that the gas pressure of the wort fermentation liquid (liquid temperature: 0°C) before spraying into the degassing tank was adjusted to 0.04 MPa and the aroma composition was not returned to the dealcoholized wort fermentation liquid. The resulting aroma composition-free non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage was designated Sample 3. The alcohol content of Sample 3 was less than 1%. The analysis results of the aroma components are shown in Table 4.

[0078] [Table 4]

[0079] <Reference example> [Changes in aroma component concentration and type] Samples 1 and 3 were mixed in varying ratios to produce 1 L of non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages with different concentrations of aroma components, designated Samples 4 to 9, respectively.

[0080] <Sensory evaluation of non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages> The non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages produced as described above were subjected to a sensory evaluation. Six trained panelists were used to evaluate the beverages. The evaluation items were the intensity of natto odor, drool odor, burnt odor, potato odor, and complex flavor derived from brewing.

[0081] The evaluation method was to adjust the temperature of the samples to about 4°C, and rate the sensory strength of the above items on a 5-point scale, as perceived immediately after putting the sample in the mouth, i.e., at the top. The ratings were 3 for sample 1, 4 for a slightly strong rating, 5 for a strong rating, 2 for a slightly weak rating, and 1 for a weak rating, and finally the average of the ratings of the six panelists was calculated. The evaluation criteria for beer-like flavor were as follows:

[0082] Good "A": The average score for the strength of natto smell, drool smell, burnt smell, and potato smell is 2.0 or less, and the average score for the complex flavor derived from brewing is 4.0 or more. Passable "B": The average rating for the strength of natto smell, drool smell, burnt smell, and potato smell is greater than 2.0 and less than 2.5, and the average rating for the complex flavor derived from brewing is greater than 3.5 and less than 4.0. Unacceptable "C": The average score for the strength of natto smell, drool smell, burnt smell, and potato smell exceeds 2.5, or the average score for the complex flavor derived from brewing is less than 3.5.

[0083] The aroma component concentrations and evaluation results of Samples 4 to 9 are shown in Table 5.

[0084] [Table 5]

[0085] The sensory evaluation results in Table 5 show that the unpleasant aromas (natto, drool, burnt, and potato) in the top notes of non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages are reduced at the aroma component concentrations of Sample 6 (myrcene concentration of 0.0475 ppb or more, β-ionone concentration of 0.000475 ppb or more, linalool concentration of 5.8125 ppb or more, citronellol concentration of 0.7025 ppb or more, geraniol concentration of 0.115 ppb or more, and α-eudesmol concentration of 0.09 ppb or more). Furthermore, the aroma component concentrations of Sample 6 were shown to enhance the complex flavors derived from brewing.

[0086] Additionally, to investigate how each type of aroma component affects the flavor of the non-alcohol beer-flavored beverage, Samples 10 to 33 were produced by varying the concentration of one of the aroma components in Sample 7. The sensory evaluation results for Samples 10 to 33 are shown in Tables 6 to 9.

[0087] [Table 6]

[0088] [Table 7]

[0089] [Table 8]

[0090] [Table 9]

[0091] The sensory evaluation results for samples 10 to 33 showed that myrcene, β-ionone, linalool, citronellol, geraniol, and α-eudesmol, when present or at increased concentrations, reduced the unpleasant aroma of non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverages and increased the complex flavor derived from brewing, indicating that they are aroma components with a high flavor-improving effect.

Claims

1. 0.0475 ppb or more of myrcene; 0.000475 ppb or more of β-ionone; Linalool equal to or greater than 5.8125 ppb, 0.7025 ppb or more of citronellol; 0.115 ppb or more of geraniol; 0.09 ppb or more of α-eudesmol; A non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage containing an aroma composition comprising:

2. 2. The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the aroma composition comprises 0.0475 to 1.0 ppb of myrcene, 0.000475 to 0.010 ppb of β-ionone, 5.8125 to 71.33 ppb of linalool, 0.7025 to 10.0 ppb of citronellol, 0.115 to 1.4 ppb of geraniol, and 0.090 to 1.1 ppb of α-eudesmol.

3. 3. The non-alcohol beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the aroma component of the aroma composition is derived from a fermented wort broth.

4. The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the fermented wort liquid is a bottom-fermented wort liquid.

5. 5. The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage according to claim 1, wherein the fermented wort liquid has a malt content of 50% or more.

6. The non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which contains a dealcoholized wort fermentation broth.

7. adjusting the carbon dioxide pressure of the fermented wort liquid to 0.05 to 0.25 MPa; a step of spraying the fermented wort liquid under reduced pressure to vaporize carbon dioxide gas and aroma components from the fermented wort liquid; a step of condensing the vaporized aroma components to obtain an aroma composition; adding the obtained aroma composition to a non-alcohol beer-taste beverage; The method for producing a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage includes the steps of:

8. adjusting the carbon dioxide pressure of the fermented wort liquid to 0.05 to 0.25 MPa; a step of spraying the fermented wort liquid under reduced pressure to vaporize carbon dioxide gas and aroma components from the fermented wort liquid; a step of condensing the vaporized aroma components to obtain an aroma composition; adding the obtained aroma composition to a non-alcohol beer-taste beverage; The method for enhancing the beer-like flavor and complex flavor derived from brewing of a non-alcoholic beer-flavored beverage includes the steps of:

9. 9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the non-alcoholic beer-taste beverage to which the aroma composition is added is obtained by dealcoholizing a fermented wort broth.

10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the fragrance composition comprises 0.0475 ppb or more of myrcene, 0.000475 ppb or more of β-ionone, 5.8125 ppb or more of linalool, 0.7025 ppb or more of citronellol, 0.115 ppb or more of geraniol, and 0.09 ppb or more of α-eudesmol.

11. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the fragrance composition comprises 0.0475 to 1.0 ppb of myrcene, 0.000475 to 0.010 ppb of β-ionone, 5.8125 to 71.33 ppb of linalool, 0.7025 to 10.0 ppb of citronellol, 0.115 to 1.4 ppb of geraniol, and 0.090 to 1.1 ppb of α-eudesmol.

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