Investigating Differences in the Volatile and Sensory Profiles of Nectaron and Superdelic Hops Grown in the Tasman Region of New Zealand

New Zealand hops are sought after for their distinctive aromas imparted to craft beer. There is a lack of understanding of how growing location influences hop aroma, which is important for brewing consistency and meeting consumer demand for specific qualities. With the rising incidence of food fraud, there is also an increasing need to develop methods to authenticate product origin. This study assessed the volatile fraction of two cultivars (Nectaron®, Suderdelic™) grown on eight farms in New Zealand’s Tasman region, using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) combined with partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Complementary sensory analysis was conducted using a sorting task with descriptors to evaluate similarities and differences in aroma perception. Hop samples from different farms exhibited distinct volatile profiles, demonstrating chemical differences among growing locations and highlighting the potential for origin authentication. Variable identification analysis identified compounds strongly correlated with specific farm origins, with patterns differing between cultivars, highlighting the significant influence of genetics. Sensory results showed that panellists perceived differences and described hops of the same cultivar differently depending on farm origin. This work contributes to the understanding of the volatile fingerprint and sensory perception of NZ hops grown on different farms within the largest commercial growing area in NZ.