Patent Publication Number: US-2017369831-A1

Title: System and process for enhancing sensory attributes in a beverage

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/354,052 filed Jun. 23, 2016 entitled, “System and Process for Enhancing Sensory Attributes in a Beverage,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention is generally directed to processes for maturing beverage products. Specifically, the present invention is directed to processes for enhancing sensory attributes in an alcoholic beverage. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Alcoholic beverages or drinks are generally grouped into two categories of beverages including distilled drinks and fermented drinks. Distilled drinks include alcoholic beverages such as whiskey, vodka, rum and tequila. Fermented drinks include alcoholic beverages such as beer, wine, cider and mead. Distilled drinks are produced by a process known as distillation, whereby ethanol, which is produced by fermenting grains, fruits, and vegetables, is distilled. The distillation of fermented products produces distilled drinks with high alcohol content. A fermented drink, such as beer, may be produced by a process of brewing, which involves the fermentation of sugars. 
     Techniques may be employed to improve the sensory attributes of an alcoholic beverage after it is produced, such as attributes affecting taste, color, aroma, and smoothness of the beverages. Beverage maturing is a widely known and used technique for improving the sensory attributes of an alcoholic beverage. For example, wine and distilled beverages are commonly aged to enhance the taste and smoothness of these drinks. An aging barrel may be used to mature an alcoholic beverage. Aging barrels are commonly made of wood, such as an oak, redwood or chestnut. Alcoholic beverages aged in wooden barrels take on some of the compounds of the barrel, such as tannins. Tannins, for example, have been known to significantly contribute to the aroma and taste of distilled drinks and non-distilled drinks. 
     The process of maturing, however, involves procuring flavor by causing the alcohol beverage to stand for months or years in a wooden ageing barrel while allowing organic material in the wood to be extracted. During the aging process, tannins are just one component of the wood that is extracted over a period of years. However, rapid aging techniques, such as rapid tannin extraction, have been developed to accelerate the maturation of alcoholic beverages. Still, these techniques have not been successful in replicating the characteristics associated with a mature flavor accomplished by traditional methods relying on environmental conditions and the chemical reactions that occur over time. 
     SUMMARY 
     Briefly, and in general terms, various embodiments are directed to a system and method for enhancing sensory attributes of a beverage product. A system and process for enhancing sensory attributes of a beverage product are described. According to one embodiment, the process comprises providing a consumable beverage. A sonication process is applied to the consumable beverage utilizing a sonication unit. Chemical reactions in the consumable beverage are catalyzed to modify a sensory attribute of the consumable beverage. 
     Other features and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate by way of example, the features of the various embodiments. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING 
       The accompanying drawings, which are included as part of the present specification, illustrate the various embodiments of the present disclosed system and method and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the preferred embodiment given below serve to explain and teach the principles of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 1  depicts an example beverage processing system for enhancing a sensory attribute of a beverage, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is flow chart that illustrates a process of enhancing a sensory attribute of a beverage, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     It should be noted that the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale and that elements of structures or functions are generally represented by reference numerals for illustrative purposes throughout the figures. Perforated lines in the Figures denote components or steps that may be optional in one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. It also should be noted that the figures are only intended to facilitate the description of the various embodiments described herein. The figures do not describe every aspect of the teachings described herein and do not limit the scope of the claims. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present disclosure provides an improvement over existing systems and processes for maturing beverages. By way of example only, the disclosed technology may be used for enhancing a sensory attribute in a beverage. The present disclosure is related to a sonication process for enhancing sensory attributes in a beverage. Energy induced by the sonication process of the present disclosure catalyzes chemical reactions and produces beverage products with enhanced sensory attributes. According to one embodiment, this is accomplished using High Energy Short Time (HEST). According to an exemplary embodiment, the beverage may be whiskey. The disclosed technology, however, may be used for any type of alcoholic beverage. 
     For purposes of the present disclosure, a sensory attribute may be a chemical or physical property of a beverage that has an effect on the human senses, including but not limited to chemical or physical properties affecting an aroma, color, flavor, texture and/or smoothness of a beverage. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , one exemplary beverage processing system  100  for enhancing a sensory attribute of a beverage  110  is shown. In particular,  FIG. 1  illustrates a beverage base  110 , a sonication unit  120 , a barrel  130 , and a beverage product  140 . 
     As depicted in  FIG. 1 , the beverage base  110  is provided to the sonication unit  120  in order to process the beverage base  110  and produce the beverage product  140 . In an exemplary embodiment, beverage base  110  is a consumable alcoholic beverage or drink. According to one embodiment, the beverage base  110  may be a type of distilled alcoholic beverage, such as whiskey or liquor. According to another embodiment, the beverage base  110  may be a type of fermented alcoholic beverage, such as beer, wine, mead, or cider. According to yet another embodiment, beverage base  110  may be any alcoholic beverage with an alcohol content ranging from 10 to 193.6 proof. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the sonication unit  120  may be a liquid processor capable of receiving a beverage base  110  and subjecting the beverage base  110  to a process of sonication. According to one embodiment, sonication may be a process of applying sound energy to agitate particles in a sample, e.g. sonicating the sample to produce an effect on the chemical and/or physical properties of the sample. In one embodiment, sonication refers to sonicating the beverage base  110 , e.g. whiskey, with an ultrasonic processor unit at set conditions which enable modification to the attributes of the beverage base  110 . According to one embodiment, the sonication unit  120  may be an ultrasonic processor unit capable of using ultrasonic frequencies, i.e. frequencies above 20 KHz. In this embodiment, sonication using ultrasonic frequencies leads to the process of ultra-sonication. In one embodiment, the sonication unit  120  may sonicate at an ultrasonic frequency inducing energy at a power of 1000-2000 W/L. As an illustration, the sonication unit  120  may include an ultrasonic processor which delivers 400 watts of power at a frequency of 24 KHz. 
     In one embodiment, the sonication unit  120  may be any of several commercial ultrasonic devices for the ultra-sonication of liquids in different volumes, such as an ultrasonic device made by Hielscher™, for lab samples, pilot scale processing or full scale processing. For example, the sonication unit  120  may be a compact handheld device capable of holding up to 500 mL, a laboratory device capable of receiving up to 2000 mL, or an industrial ultrasonic processor used for larger volume processing. In one embodiment, the sonication unit  120 , operating under set conditions, may be used to sonicate a sample of whiskey to enable modification to sensory attributes of the whiskey sample and produce an enhanced or improved tasting and/or smelling beverage product  140 . 
     In one embodiment, the beverage processing system  100  may include an additional device, appliance, or apparatus which may be used to further enhance or improve the beverage product  110 . In one embodiment, as shown in  FIG. 1 , the barrel  130  may be used for aging the beverage after it has been processed by the sonication unit  120  to produce the beverage product  140 . The container  130  may be a cask or a tun. In one embodiment, the barrel  130  is a hollow cylindrical container made of wooden staves and bounded by wooden or metal hoops. In one embodiment, the wooden staves of barrel  130  are made of oak or maple. In one embodiment, the barrel  130  may be used as a vessel to treat the sonicated beverage  110  with additives and flavorants such as oak or other carbon sources. Additives and flavorants may be used to enhance the aroma, color, flavor, and/or smoothness of a beverage, such as beverage  110 . Examples of additives and flavorants that may be used for enhancing a beverage, such as beverage  110 , include woods, plant extracts, vegetables, seeds, nuts, and fruits. 
     In an exemplary embodiment, the beverage product  140  is an enhanced beverage base  110  that has undergone a sonication process at ultrasonic frequencies, such as frequencies above 24 KHz. In one embodiment, the beverage product  140  is an enhanced consumable alcoholic beverage or drink. In one embodiment, the beverage product  140  may have been produced from a process of aging in barrel  130  after being processed by sonication unit  120 . In one embodiment, the beverage product  140  may have been treated with or contacted with additives and flavorants before, after, or at the same time as being processed by sonication unit  120 . 
     According to one embodiment of the present system  100 , including the sonication unit  120 , may have the following characteristics:
         an ultrasonic processor, (e.g., the UP 400S made by Hielscher Ultrasonics Gmbh™) delivering 400 Watts @ 24 KHz,   the beverage is 80-120 proof,   40% Amplitude,   5 min sonication,   full-cycle: (e.g. A 100% wave pulse introduced into the base  110 ),   energy is input at 84 kilowatts/liter, and   temperature of the beverage during processing ranges from 60° F. to 140° F.       

     Additional combinations of characteristics, ranges, and settings of the sonication unit  120  are within the scope of the present disclosure. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 2 , this figure illustrates an exemplary process  200  of enhancing a sensory attribute of a beverage by system  100 . At the start of the process, a consumable beverage, such as beverage base  110 , may be provided at  210 . In one embodiment, the consumable beverage may be provided in different volumes depending on the quantity specifications of the sonication unit  120  that will used to perform a sonication process. In one embodiment, at  210 , the consumable beverage may be provided directly to a sonication unit  120  for sonication of the consumable beverage  110 . In one embodiment, at  210 , the consumable beverage  110  may be provided to an apparatus such as an aging barrel for treating the beverage  110  prior to sonication. In one embodiment, an aging barrel  130  may be used for contacting, at  220 , the beverage base  110  with one or more additives or flavorants such as oak or other carbon sources. 
     In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the provided beverage base  110  is subjected, at  230 , to sonication (e.g., an ultrasound) in order to enhance the sensory attributes of the consumable beverage base  110 . For example, the sonication process, at  230 , may be performed on a consumable base of 80 proof straight bourbon whiskey containing 50% alcohol by volume (ABV) using the sonication unit  120 . As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , a number of conditions or settings of the sonication unit  120 , including an ultrasonic frequency, may be employed and maintained to facilitate the sonication process, at  230 . In an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, the sonication process requires that the sonication unit  120  operates, at  232 , at a frequency of 24 KHz or higher. In one embodiment, the sonication process is applied, at step  234 , on the beverage base  110  for a period of time ranging from 1 to 10 minutes at a predetermined frequency. For example, the sonication process may proceed from 1 to 5 minutes at a frequency of 24 KHz or higher. In this example, the period of time may be extended up to, and not to exceed, 10 minutes. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, energy may be induced by the sonication process  230  to catalyze or accelerate chemical reactions in the beverage  110  and produce a beverage product  140  with enhanced sensory attributes. In one embodiment, the beverage base  110  is subjected, at  230 , to sonication delivering, at  236 , ultrasonic energy at a power ranging from 17 to 84 kilowatts/liter. In one embodiment, ultrasonic energy is delivered via the sonication unit operating in the frequency range from 24 KHz to 270 KHz. In yet a further embodiment, the sonication unit may deliver energy in the megasonic range from 350 KHz to 1.3 MHz. In the embodiments described above, additional combinations or processing characteristics are within the scope of the present disclosure. 
     In one embodiment, the process of enhancing the sensory attributes of beverage base  110  may involve maintaining, at  238 , a temperature of the beverage  110  while the beverage is subjected to ultrasonic energy during the sonication process  230 . For example, the temperature of the beverage base  110  may be maintained at temperatures ranging from 60° F. to 140° F. while the beverage is being subjected to ultrasonic energy during the sonication process  230 . In one embodiment, the beverage base  110  may be contacted, at  239 , with one or more additives and/or flavorants while both ingredients are being subjected to ultrasonic energy during the sonication process  230 . It is within the scope of the present disclosure that additives and flavorants may be contacted with either the processed or unprocessed beverage  110  at any stage of the process  200 , including before, after, or at the same time as being subjected to the sonication process at  230 . For example, following sonication at  230 , the process  200  may include a step of aging the processed beverage, i.e. the beverage  110  that has undergone sonication at  230 , in the barrel  130  to yield the final beverage product  140 . In one embodiment, the processed beverage may be treated, at  242 , with additives or flavorants while aging, at  240 , the processed beverage in a wooden barrel, as described above. For example, process  200  may conclude with treating the processed beverage with carbon and the use of oak chips to yield the beverage product  140  that has enhanced sensory attributes. 
     The above example embodiments have been described herein to illustrate various embodiments of a system  100  and a process  200  for enhancing sensory attributes of a beverage. If used on whiskeys, the process  200  using the system  100  may cause an increase in grain (rye) and spice attributes and a decrease in undesirable resin notes of a finished whiskey product. Further, relatively smaller changes to sensory attributes in terms of fruit, heat, sweet aromatics, toast attributes and mouthfeel may be observed. Various modifications and departures from the disclosed example embodiments will occur to those having ordinary skill in the art. 
     One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that not all systems for producing beverages have all these components and may have other components in addition to, or in lieu of, some components mentioned here. Furthermore, while these components are viewed and described separately, various components may be integrated into a single unit in some embodiments. 
     The various embodiments described above are provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed to limit the claimed invention. Numerous alternative embodiments could be implemented, using either current technology or technology developed after the filing date of this application. Those skilled in the art will readily recognize various modifications and changes that may be made to the claimed invention without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and described herein, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the claimed invention, which is set forth in the following claims.