Abstract: This study quantified the phenolic compounds (gallic acid, vanillic acid, vanillin, syringic acid, syringaldehyde, coumarin and scopoletin), furfuraldehyde and the antioxidant capacity during in 0, 1, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 18 months of non-aged cachaça and active aging of cachaça in 20 L casks of four Brazilian wood species, white peroba (Paratecoma white peroba), balsamo (Myroxylon balsamum), timborana (Piptadenia sp.), jaboty (Erisma uncinatum) and white oak (Quercus sp.) casks. The content of phenolic compounds and 2-furfuraldehyde were quantified by HPLC-UV. The antioxidant capacity was determined using two indirect methods: The total phenolic content by Folin-Ciocalteu assay and the inhibition of 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical. The phenolic compounds incorporated in aged cachaças after 18 months of aging were: jaboty (gallic acid and vanillin), white oak (gallic acid, vanillic acid, vanillin, syringic acid and syringaldehyde), timborana (gallic acid, vanillic acid, vanillin and coumarin), balsamo (gallic acid, vanillic acid, vanillin, syringic acid, syringaldehyde and coumarin) white peroba (gallic acid, vanillic acid, vanillin, syringic acid, syringaldehyde and coumarin). The antioxidant capacity and content of phenolic compounds both increase with increasing aging time and there is a significant correlation between them. The Brazilian woods balsam, followed by white peroba and timborana were the best substitute to replace the oak casks because their aged cachaças presented higher antioxidant capacity and phenolic profile more complex and quantitatively greater than the cachaça aged in white oak casks. This work suggests that 2-furfuraldehyde can degrade in cachaça aged in timborana, white peroba and balsamo.