In order to investigate the effect of different ingredients on the quality of Korean rice wines, 30% of rice were
substituted by malt, corn, potato, soybean, glutinous millet, unpolished rice, glutinous rice, or non-glutinous rice, when rice
wines were prepared. Physicochemical and sensory characteristics of the rice wines from the varying ingredients were
evaluated. Sample rice wines were analyzed for ethanol, pH, total acid, amino acid, soluble solid, coloring degree, UV
absorbance, reducing sugar, organic acids, and free sugars. After fermentation for 16 days, the ethanol contents ranged from
13.28 to 16.23%, while the total acid levels were within the range of 0.27 to 0.32%. The amino acid contents in eight samples
ranged from 0.18 to 0.36%, while the soluble solid contents were within the range of 8.35 to 11.1˚Bx. Among the eight
samples tested, rice wine prepared with malt showed the highest level of coloring degree, UV absorbance, and reducing sugar
levels, while rice wine prepared with potato showed the lowest value. Organic acid contents of rice wines prepared with
soybean, glutinous rice, and non-glutinous rice showed the highest levels of succinic acid followed by acetic acid, citric acid,
malic acid, and pyroglutamic acid. Free sugar contents of all rice wines showed the higher levels of glucose followed by
fructose and maltose. Rice wines prepared with unpolished rice and corn showed the same highest overall sensory preference.
By descriptive analysis, the overall mean sensory intensities of samples prepared with glutinous rice and non-glutinous rice,
showed similar levels of ‘sweetness’, ‘fruitiness’, and ‘freshness of aroma’, while those samples prepared with soybean,
glutinous millet, and potato showed stronger intensities of ‘nuruk’, ‘grain aroma’, and ‘yellowness’. Rice wine prepared with
corn showed middle ranges in all sensory attributes tested.