Chemo-sensory profiling of indigenous Chinese woods for strong ale aging: High (Z)-oaklactone in Mongolian oak changes aroma perception and evokes positive emotions

The brewing potential of Chinese native woods remains largely unexplored. Here, we evaluated strong ales aged with seven native and five international woods. Sensory profiling and consumer testing revealed that Mongolian oak elicited the highest liking score (6.64/9) and strongest positive emotions, driven by caramel and vanilla notes. Comprehensive GC-MS analyses quantified 85 volatiles, highlighting exceptionally high ( Z )-oaklactone concentrations (903.8 µg/L) in Mongolian oak. Gradient addition experiments demonstrated that ( Z )-oaklactone dose-dependently enhanced aroma liking and positive emotions, with an optimum near 900 µg/L. Furthermore, molecular docking predicted OR10K1 as a candidate olfactory receptor for ( Z )-oaklactone. By linking specific wood-derived chemical profiles to sensory and emotional outcomes, this study highlights ( Z )-oaklactone’s critical role in driving consumer preference and establishes a systematic approach for valorizing native woods as novel flavor resources in brewing.