CACHAÇA QUALITY ASSESSMENT PRODUCED IN NORTH MATO GROSSO

The increased consumption of cachaça and the possibility of exportation are increasingly requiring that producers seek to improvement the quality of the drink. Cachaça is defined as a typical and exclusive name for brandy forsugar cane produced in Brazil, with alcoholic graduation of 38-48% by volume at 20 º C, with peculiar sensory characteristics. A good cachaça must have in its composition and minimum values of contaminants and congeners limited values established by legislation to ensure minimum standards of beverage quality (color, aroma, flavor). The objective of this study was to evaluate the physical and chemical quality of cachaça produced in northern Mato Grosso. We collected five samples of cachaça in the region, and then these were evaluated parameters for total acidity, fixed acidity and volatile acidity, total esters, solids, copper and level alcohol according to standards of the Instituto Adolfo Lutz . The data were submitted to analysis of variance and the means compared by tukey test at 5% probability. Of cachaças analyzed, 4 had results outside the standard set by legislation, where cachaça C showed values of 329.07 and 902.70 mg/100 mL of anhydrous alcohol for the parameter of volatile acid and esters respectively. The cachaça D, B and E showed values of total esters of 452.30, 258.66 and 243.16 mg/100mL anhydrous alcohol respectively. For level of copper rum E showed values above the permitted with 57.08 mg / L of sample and dry extract of 0.1309 g / mL. As the level of alcoool, only cachaça D showed alcohol level below the limit minimum