the library

Port

Spirits & brews· spirit

Every one of its 4 compounds carries a paper the library can cite.

• benzaldehydearomaaldehydereads as burning aromatic taste (PubChem)Measured in 54 of 338 ingredients.cite

  45 µg/L at bottling, falling to 33.9-35.7 at 6 months and 15.0-17.4 at 15 months, then recovering to 25.4-32.7 µg/L at 44 months — the only one of the four measured volatiles that does not rise monotonically with bottle age — Azevedo et al. 2022, Foods (Table 2, row 'Benzaldehyde (µg/L)', all four sampling times)
• furfuralaromafuranreads as almond-like odor (PubChem)Measured in 33 of 338 ingredients.cite

  137 µg/L at bottling, rising through 207.6-308.0 at 6 months and 298.2-461.4 at 15 months to 471.3-914.1 µg/L at 44 months. The highest value throughout is the traditional cellar with no temperature or humidity control; the air-conditioned cellar reached 521.4 upright and 471.3 on its side over the same period — Azevedo et al. 2022, Foods (Table 2 (Color, phenolic parameters and volatile composition of Vintage Port wine stored under different cellar conditions and bottle orientation for 44 months in bottle), row 'Furfural (µg/L)', all four sampling times and all three storage conditions)
• phenethyl acetatearomaesterMeasured in 13 of 338 ingredients.cite

  not quantifiable at bottling or at 6 months, 13.2-16.0 µg/L at 15 months and 30.8-32.8 µg/L at 44 months, with no significant difference between the three storage conditions at the final point — Azevedo et al. 2022, Foods (Table 2, row 'Phenylethyl acetate (µg/L)', all four sampling times)
• 5-methylfurfuralaromafuranMeasured in 10 of 338 ingredients.cite

  not quantifiable at bottling, at 6 months or at 15 months, and 42.8-64.5 µg/L at 44 months — 64.5 in the uncontrolled cellar against 42.8 and 43.5 in the air-conditioned one. It appears in this wine only with time and warmth — Azevedo et al. 2022, Foods (Table 2, row '5-Methylfurfural (µg/L)', all four sampling times)