Flavour Compound of the Week - Myrcene

Myrcene (or systemically 7-Methyl-3-methylene-1,6-octadiene) is a highly volatile terpene and major component of hop essential oil. Dr R Quincy of Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office once said “the world of forensic medicine is the most important and fascinating sphere of police work.” The same cannot be said about hop chemistry and brewing, especially to the layman or moderate beer enthusiast. Taste is complicated enough without complex and uncontrolled organic chemistry going on beyond our view. It is important for brewers to understand the basics of hop chemistry such as the chemicals responsible for flavour, their concentrations and volatilities but knowing oxidative pathways and esterification yields is of no practical use. Most people who use long-winded explanations about which sesquiterpene is oxidised and esterified in their FVs are either mental or trying confuse or impress someone by pretending that they are on Silent Witness.


Noble hops (Saaz, Spalt, Tettnang etc) have very subtle aromas because they are classy. Whereas less noble hops (Amarillo, Galena, Cascade) have strong aromas because they are tarts! Myrcene has a floral aroma and is found in high concentrations in the less-noble hops and is in part responsible for this tartiness. Personally I blame the parents.

Myrcene gets its name from the plant Myrcia which is especially rich in the substance.