Hello from Eastern VA

punkin

@grim said: Perhaps I share too much sometimes...

Please don't ever stop.

Smaug

@grim said: I'm in love with phenylethyl acetate (and 2-) these days, she's the new elusive mistress.

Honey ... but also cocoa. Big honey on the nose, but also this weird cocoa contribution. You wouldn't think they are related, but both are common esters in chocolate, and common byproducts of cacao fermentation. There are probably other compounds involved, but damn, when you get the honey coming through, it's always paired with the cocoa.

Larry - I think you might have ran into her once or twice before.

Yes sir,

A few times.

Isovaleraldehyde

Found it more frequently after aging rum beer prior to running. Definitely had to collect at a high abv or too much twang carried over.

CothermanDistilling

Isovaleric is 'cheesy' in beer... and comes from hops that are old... it actually is desired in some belgian beers... but it can also come from @grim 's favorite organism - Brettanomyces ;-)

grim

You are both right.

Isovaleric acid is cheesy.

Isovaleraldehyde is chocolately.

They are both related, in more ways than you think. Lots of the stuff we are talking about in the aroma and flavor of chocolate has to do with the fact that it's fermented, and similar microbes are involved. Fermentation of cacao beans is pretty amazing, a whole set of potentially untapped microbes! :)

Smaug

I personally have no idea what I'm talking about. Other than I have been able to achieve a very nice chocolate note more than once,,,,,and I have this here paper on my desk that says :

Isovaleraldehyde:

Aroma: chocolate, peach, fatty

Human detection threshold : 1ppb