Abstract:In order to investigate the quality differences of bud-type Congou black tea produced from different tea cultivars, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS), quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA), and chemometrics were employed to analyze the characteristic taste substances and aroma components of bud-type Congou black tea made from ten tea cultivars. The results of QDA showed that the overall aroma of the bud-type Congou black tea from the 10 cultivars was predominantly sweet and floral, while the taste was mainly sweet and mellow. Sixteen differentiated internal components (non-volatile compounds) were detected across the different samples, with an average coefficient of variation of 21.63%, and the greatest variation observed in theaflavin. A total of 49 volatile compounds were identified in the black tea from 10 tea cultivars, with alcohols being the most abundant class, followed by esters, and ketones being the least abundant. Geraniol was found to have the highest mass fraction among the volatile components. Orthogonal partial least squares-discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) effectively distinguish ‘Golden Peony’ and ‘Fuyun No. 7’ from other cultivars, and 12 markers closely related to bud-type Congou black tea cultivars were identified. Correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between caffeine and tea polyphenols with aftertaste sweetness, while caffeine and theobromine were significantly positively correlated with body. Geranyl alcohol, cis-?α,α?-5-trimethyl-5-vinyltetrahydrofuran-2-methanol, methyl salicylate, and linalool were positively correlated with floral and fruity aromas. This study provides a theoretical basis for the production, processing, and quality improvement of bud-type Congou black tea.
