Article

Advances in the Ageing Chemistry of Distilled Spirits Matured in Oak Barrels
Kevin MacNamara, Dagmara Dabrowska, Meike Baden and Norbert Helle
This article describes the analysis of the ageing chemistry of distilled spirits, such as whiskey, to assess the maturation process in oak barrels using GC–MS and LC–MS.

Columns

Column Watch/Sample Prep Perspectives: Highlights of HPLC 2011
Ron Majors
HPLC 2011 was held on June 19–23 in Budapest, Hungary for the first time in its long history. Columnist Ron Majors attended this meeting and provides first-hand coverage on some of the technology and application advances reported. In this installment of “Column Watch,” he reviews the overall trends observed at the symposium, the opening plenary session, awards presented, column technology highlights, as well as updates on LCXLC and detector usage.

MS: The Practical Art: Visualizing the Chemical Composition of Complex Samples
Michael Balogh
Today, mass spectrometrists have the benefit of highly evolved instruments capable of delivering exquisite detail from complex samples. The materials examined by these scientists may have hundreds to thousands of unique components in a wide range of concentrations. The spectra are very complex; to even a trained eye, two mass spectra of related but different samples are virtually indistinguishable. How do they decipher and tabulate thousands of chemical formulas and relative abundances without losing?

LC Troubleshooting: Troubleshooting Basics II: Pressure Problems
John W. Dolan
What do you do when the system pressure is not what it is supposed to be?

CE Currents: Inter-laboratory Repeatability Exercises in CE (Part 1) — Small Molecule Applications".
Kevin Altria
Repeatability of analyses in different laboratories is crucial. The article describes the factors to take into account.