Differentiation of monofloral citrus, rosemary, eucalyptus, lavender, thyme and heather honeys based on volatile composition and sensory descriptive analysis

The volatile profiles of 49 Spanish honey samples of different botanical origins were obtained by means of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and sensory analysis. Citrus honeys were characterised by higher amounts of linalool derivatives, limonyl alcohol, sinensal isomers, and α-4-dimethyl-3-cyclohexene-1-acetaldehyde, together with fresh fruit and citric aromas; eucalyptus honeys had hydroxyketones (acetoin, 5-hydroxy-2,7-dimethyl-4-octanone), p-cymene derivatives, 3-caren-2-ol and spathulenol, cheese and hay aromas; lavender honeys had hexanal, nerolidol oxide, coumarin, important concentrations of hexanol and hotrienol and sensorial attributes, including balsamic and aromatic herb aromas; finally, heather honeys were characterised by high contents of benzene and phenolic compounds and ripe fruit and spicy aromas. Some of these compounds and sensory attributes were only found in honeys from a specific floral source and could thus be of interest for use as markers of their botanical origin.