Ever wondered about the different hop aromas? It’s incredible to see all the different aromas that hops impart into beer. Hops really are a hero of the craft beer world.
The American Society of Brewing Chemists Sensory Subcommittee compiled an extensive list of illustrative terms to describe the aroma of hops. Those terms were then grouped into broader aroma categories.
We have applied most of those categories to our hops. For each of our hop varieties you can visually see – in the sensory notes ‘spider charts’ on our website – the aromas identified during sensory performed on dry hop cones.
So what are these aroma categories and underlying descriptors? Here goes:
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Fruity – Berry Raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, concord grape, white grape, gooseberry, blackcurrant/catty, redcurrant, white wine |
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Fruity – Stone Fruit Peach, apricot, nectarine, cherry, plum |
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Fruity – Pomme Apple, pear |
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Fruity – Melon Cantaloupe, honeydew, cucumber, watermelon |
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Fruity – Tropical Mango, pineapple, papaya, banana, lychee, guava, passionfruit, coconut |
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Fruity – Citrus Grapefruit, orange, lemon, lime, tangerine, mandarin |
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Vegetal Onion, green onion, garlic, green bell pepper, celery, asparagus, cabbage |
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Grassy Fresh cut grass, lemongrass, green leaves, hay |
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Earthy Musty, soil, marsh, moss |
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Woody Pine, resinous, cedar, tobacco, sandalwood |
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Spicy Black pepper, clove, licorice/anise, ginger, coriander, cardamom |
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Sweet Aromatic Caramel, chocolate, vanilla, bubblegum |
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Medicinal (not used on our website) Plastic, rubber, burnt rubber, smoke, petroleum, diesel |
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Dairy (not used on our website) Cheese, cream, waxy |
To see how the aroma categories apply to our hops, click the following button and then click on the Learn More button underneath each hop variety.
