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This flavor is a mouth-puckering sensation that is comparable to chewing on grape skins or grape seeds. It is often produced by the extraction of tannins from grain husks due to overcrushing, oversparging, or sparging with alkaline or boiling water. Astringency may also be produced by polyphenols that result from spoilage by acetobacter or wild yeast. Another possible source is oxidation, in which case the responsible compounds are polyphenols and aldehydes. Finally, spices such as coriander, orange peel and cinnamon also contribute astringent flavors, but these tend to mellow with age. Note that over-attenuation and low dextrin levels can increase the perception of astringency.
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