Prediction of fruity-citrus intensity of beers dry-hopped with Mandarina Bavaria based on the content of selected volatile compounds

Mandarina Bavaria is a “Special Flavor” hop variety, described as fruity, with pronounced mandarin and citrus, combined with traditional hoppy sensations. The relationship between fruity-citrus intensity and the volatile profile of dry-hopped beers was assessed in order to predict the sensory perception of those dry-hopped beers using the content of selected volatile compounds. For this purpose, two base beers (A and B) that presented statistical differences (p<0.05) in the composition of volatile compounds and on the sensory perception were dry-hopped with 3 g/L of Mandarina Bavaria hop. Twenty-four volatiles from hop were quantified during 15 days of dry-hopping, while the sensory perception was followed by a certified trained panel. The sensory perception of total hoppy (in a scale from 0 to 5) can be estimated using a PLS-equation (Q2 = 0.654): Total hoppy = 1.8 + [Myrcene (µg/ L) × 7.5 × 10-3] + [2-methylbutyl-2-methylpropanoate (µg/ L) × 4.2 × 10-3] + [Linalool (µg/ L) × 7.2 × 10-3] + [α-Humulene (µ...