The hidden palette: Uncovering key substances driving color variation in sesame-flavor Baijiu.

Color is a pivotal in the visual quality of sesame-flavor Baijiu (SFB), may significantly influence consumers' perception. This study investigated the sensory differences among samples with different colors and identified potential substances responsible for these color variations. Sensory evaluation revealed subtle quality differences (Adonis R = 0.0990), and color served as a crucial basis to judge quality prior to tasting. Among samples with different colors, volatile metabolites were not correlated with color (p > 0.05). Conversely, metal ions and non-volatile metabolites demonstrated significant correlations with color (p < 0.001), accounting for 76.74 % of the observed color variation. Notably, Fe was identified as the primary driver of color variation, being the only substance with a significant effect on ΔE. Additionally, non-volatile metabolites, such as palmitic acid, oleic acid, and linoleic acid, also played roles in color variation. These findings provide a valuable direction for controlling the visual quality of Baijiu.