Hopsteiner Sensory Panel

For the past year, Hopsteiner has been developing an in-house sensory panel to provide additional evaluation of hop varieties and products. The Hopsteiner Sensory Panel trains on a set of sixty aroma reference standards in order to correctly identify common aromas found in hops (e.g. lemon, pine, mango, rose, etc.).

These aromas are divided into seven general categories: Citrusy, Earthy/Resinous, Fruity, Floral, Herbal, Spicy and Sugar-like. The sensory panel uses these descriptors while evaluating both the aromas of experimental varieties developed in our Hopsteiner breeding program and evaluating dry-hopped beer with the Hopsteiner Flavor Wheel (see newsletter 04/2013).

Evaluation methods include the traditional hand-rub, single-hopped teas (a specially prepared solution for a better assessment of hops) and trial single-hopped ales that use the experimental variety for both kettlehopping and dry-hopping. Panelists are also trained to draw bitterness curves that depict the perceived bitterness intensity and profile the bitterness quality found in beer.

The Hopsteiner Sensory Panel evaluated two of the experimental varieties from our breeding program.

The results can be found in the figures below. ...

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