essential oils that provide hops with their complex aromas
Terpenes are oils that are found in all sorts of plants and used for a variety of things. Citronellol is an oil in citrus fruits. Linalool is a terpene found in many aromatic plants is largely used as a scent in soaps and beauty products.
There are numerous terpenes that appear in hops. While they all provide their own qualities, there are 7 main terpenes that occupy the majority of a hops oil composition. We run a full terpene analysis on all our hops and distill the data into an easy-to-understand format.
We’ve developed data cards to showcase each hops terpene profile and oil composition. Below is a breakdown of the top 7 terpenes in a hop and what qualities they bring to the table.
b-pinene
Spicey and piney. Commonly found in rosemary and basil, as well as pine and spruce
trees. Pinene is the most comonly found terpene among plants with A-Pinene being
more prominent in cannabis and B-Pinene more prominent in hops.
caryophyllene
With the same composition as humulene, it also provides piney and woody qualities.
It provides some spicey notes reminiscent of black pepper. It’s also known for its
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
farnesene
Floral and citrusy with woody undertones. Found in green apple skin, it also produces
that aroma. It’s also present in ginger, grapefruit, and gardenia flowers among other
organics. Like Caryophyllene, Farnesene also has anti-inflammatory qualities.
geraniol
Floral and sweet, this terpene’s name is derived directly from the geraniuum plant.
It also provides underlying notes of fruit and roses. It mixes well with linalool to
create desirable aromas and tasting notes in flavour-forward brews.
humulene
Not only piney and woody, humulene also produces quintessential characteristics
of noble hops (classic European hop varieties that have been cultivated in the same
regions for hundreds of years, producing iconic flavours in european style beer).
linalool
A very floral terpene, linalool is known for its lavender qualities with orange-citrus
undertones. Outside of brewing, it is extremely popular as an element in various
fragrant products such as soaps, perfumes & cosmetics.
myrcene
Herb-like and resinous. While it counts for the majority of a hop’s terpenes,
it typically doesn’t produce any signifigant aromasas most of it is lost in the boil.
It’s qualities aid the other oils in producing their signature aromas.
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