aldehydes , like ketones, represent a group of organic compounds usually created by the oxidation of alcohols. The term is credited to the nineteenth-century chemist Justus von Liebig, from “dehydrogenated alcohols.” As with ketones, aldehydes can have remarkably powerful aromatics, from fruits to nuts, cheese, vegetables, and flowers. Acetaldehyde is the most common of these; its aromas seem fruity at low levels but at higher levels take on the aromas of nuts and even bruised and rotten apples. See acetaldehyde. Wines and spirits marked by oxidation, such as oloroso sherry, madeira, cognac, and Armagnac, have high levels of acetaldehyde as well as other aldehydes.
See also ketone and oxidation.
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Buxton, Ian, and Paul S. Hughes. The Science and Commerce of Whisky. Cambridge: RSC, 2015.
Jeffrey, David W., Gavin Sacks, and Andrew Waterhouse. Understanding Wine Chemistry. Oxford: Wiley, 2016.
By: Doug Frost