A comparison of sensory evaluation and an electronic nose assay in the assessment of aroma in dry hopped beers

Abstract

The aim of this work was to compare sensory evaluation and electronic nose technology used to assess aromas in dry hopped beers. An electronic nose based on gas chromatography was used for the first time. Hops varieties Amarillo, Cascade, Chinook, Kazbek and Mandarina Bavaria were used for the production of dry hopped beers and the Sladek variety was used for the control sample. The basic characteristics of the beers were determined, and the sensory evaluation performed by selected assessors was compared to the sensory assay using an electronic nose. Assessment of the aroma profile of dry hopped beers shows that the basic flavours of these beers, such as worty, yeasty and hoppy, were suppressed. Compared to the control sample, a significant grapefruit flavour was noted by the evaluators in Kazbek and Chinook beer samples. The most prominent determinant, compared to the control sample, was in general the citrus aroma. Based on the results of the principal component analysis, it can be concluded that there were statistically significant differences between the individual dry hopped beers and between them and the control sample with the exception of beers dry hopped with hops of the Amarillo and Cascade variety, which was also confirmed by the results of sensory evaluation (approximately the same scoring of the monitored descriptors).

Mapping the Sensory Fingerprint of Swedish Beer Market through Text and Data Mining and Multivariate Strategies

“…It has also been a significant source of research, with studies varying from understanding its raw materials, such as malt [2] or hops [3][4][5], to investigating its impact on health [6]. Numerous studies have also investigated beer flavor chemistry, stability and sensory properties [1,[7][8][9][10]. Beer perception is undoubtedly influenced by its chemical composition [11][12][13], but also by cultural factors [14,15] or the level of expertise of the taster [16].…”

Aroma Profile Development in Beer Fermented with Azacca, Idaho-7, and Sultana Hops

“…Although there are several possible analytes responsible for these identified grapefruit and orange aromas, cis-geraniol (orange, citrus) stands out as one analyte that was only measured in the Sultana-hopped beer and is described in the literature to match this aroma well [19]. Previous publications have highlighted the grapefruit notes in other hop varieties including Kazbek and Chinook, both of which have cis-geraniol as a dominant aromatic compound [8]. Notably, despite the large overall concentration (see Figure 3) of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes with woody, spicy aromas, these options were not selected by the sensory panelists.…”

“…Previous work has shown that the choice of hop variety as well as the method of hop addition are of great importance to the quality of the final product [4][5][6]. Several recent publications have also compared the organoleptic qualities resulting from specific hop varieties and dry hopping methods [7][8][9][10]. However, few previous studies have surveyed the chemical and sensory attributes of Azacca- [11,12], Idaho-7-, and Sultana-hopped beers.…”