A study was conducted to investigate the distribution of volatile compounds (VCs) in the juices from three mandarin cultivars 'Minneola', 'King' and 'Tangerina' hold on-tree and stored in the cold. The VCs were analyzed using solid phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 116 VCs were identified in mandarins. The VCs α-pinene (0.48-1.58%), β-myrcene (1.42-3.57%), limonene (41.68-78.55%), γ-terpinene (0.13-11.58%), linalool (1.57-17.00%), terpinene-4-ol (0.62-5.03%) and α-terpineol (1.29-8.98%) were the most abundant compounds found in mandarin juice. There were twenty-eight VCs (α-pinene, β-myrcene, limonene, β-thujene, γ-terpinene, β-ocimene, p-cymene, α-terpinolene, octanal, tebacon, nonanal, 1,3,8-p-menthatriene, E-2-octenal, dehydro-p-cymene, decanal, linalool, 1-octanol, terpinene-4-ol, β-terpineol, γ-elemene, α-terpineol, isoborneol, isoledene, carvone, cis-gereniol, γ-muurolene, perilla aldehyde, trans-geraniol) common to all three mandarin cultivars. The hold on-tree resulted in an increase in β-myrcene and γ-terpinene and a decrease in α-terpineol, as compared to the cold storage and the first harvest. At the cold storage, there was observed a significant increase in δ-elemene, β-elemene, γ-elemene and germacrene D for 'Minneola' mandarine juice, and in linalool, octanol and ethanol for 'King' and 'Tangerina' mandarin juices and also decrease in limonene for all mandarin juices. VCs β-cyclocitral, lavandulyl acetate, β-citronellol, α-cyclocitral, L-fenchone, α-sinensal and Z-3-hexenol were identified in 'Tangerina' juice only. Aromadendrene was found in 'Minneola' only. The number of volatile compounds identified and also alcohol percentages were the greater in juices from mandarin stored at the cold than the harvest. This may indicate an increase in the anaerobic respiration due to the alcohol compounds production at high level which may enhance off-flavor development.