In short
Hop oil is distilled from the cones of Humulus lupulus, the hops used in beer. Rich in myrcene, humulene and caryophyllene, it has a green, herbal and spicy odour.
What Hop Oil smells like
Hop oil is green, herbal and spicy, with a woody, resinous depth. A perfumer quoted by The Good Scents Company describes it as clean, sweet and somewhat herbal and vegetative; Aliksir's data sheet calls the odour characteristic and spicy. Its composition explains the profile: myrcene, often the largest constituent, gives a light, resinous freshness, while humulene and beta-caryophyllene give the woody-spicy, 'hoppy' note. Perfumery glossaries place it between herbal, pine-resinous and cannabis-like aromatics. Composition varies widely with hop variety.
- Leading note
- Green herbal
- Clear facets
- Spicy
- Supporting facets
- Woody, hoppy, resinous
- Faint facets
- Sweet
- Character
- Green, dry, herbal, bitter
What makes Hop Oil distinctive
It is the smell of hops — myrcene's light resin plus humulene's dry, woody spice — and reads as herbal-green with a bitter, beer-like dryness that no single constituent gives on its own.
Where the descriptions disagree: Its composition, and so its balance of fresh and spicy, varies widely with hop variety.
How Hop Oil is used
Used as a heart modifier in chypre, aromatic and beer-themed compositions, and in green-aromatic accords alongside vetiver, oakmoss and pine materials.
Typical role: modifier (used in small amounts to change the character of a blend).
How Hop Oil differs from similar materials
- Myrcene
- Myrcene is hop oil's main volatile, light and balsamic on its own; the oil adds the dry, woody humulene spice that makes it 'hoppy'.
- alpha-Humulene
- alpha-Humulene, named for the hop, is a dry, bitter wood alone; hop oil adds myrcene's fresh, citrusy note. (compared directly by a cited source)
An asterisk marks a difference that a cited source states directly. The others compare the published descriptions of each material. Smell varies with grade, supplier and dilution; compare them side by side on blotters before substituting one for another.
Formulation considerations
Ages quickly; store cold and use fresh.
Identity and classification
- Type
- Essential oil
- Origin
- Natural
- Odour family
- Green / Spicy
- Note position
- Top to heart note
- Physical form at room temperature
- Liquid
- Botanical source
- Humulus lupulus
- CAS number
- 8007-04-3
The CAS number was checked on 19 October 2026 against a PubChem substance record that gives it for this material. A natural material is a mixture, so it has no single formula; its composition varies with origin and processing.
Safety and compliance
This page is general information, not a safety assessment or a specification. Confirm identity, composition, IFRA status and allergen content from your supplier's documents for the lot you hold.
Materials it works with
-
Myrcene
Aroma chemical · Green / Aromatic — herbal, balsamic, green, resinous
-
alpha-Humulene
Aroma chemical · Woody / Aromatic — woody, earthy, herbal, hoppy
-
beta-Caryophyllene
Aroma chemical · Spicy / Woody — spicy, woody, peppery, dry
-
cis-3-Hexenol
Aroma chemical · Green / Fruity — green, cut grass, leafy, fresh
Used in formulas and accords
Used in 1 published formula
Hop Oil is an ingredient in 1 perfume formula in the Formula & Accord Library.
RUŌOD House Originals
Original compositions by RUŌOD House.
Further reading
Questions about Hop Oil
Is Hop Oil natural or synthetic?
Hop Oil is natural. It is a volatile oil obtained from plant material by steam distillation or, for citrus peels, by cold expression.
What is the CAS number of Hop Oil?
8007-04-3, the registry number for the essential oil as a substance rather than a single molecule. It was checked against PubChem on 19 October 2026.
Which published formulas use Hop Oil?
Hop Oil is used in 1 published formula in the RUŌOD Lab Formula & Accord Library: Mate Field. Each is listed with a link under "Used in formulas and accords" on this page.
Sources
- PubChem — substance 135306977, checked 19 October 2026.
- The Good Scents Company — hop oil — odour database.
- Aliksir — Hop (Humulus lupulus) essential oil — manufacturer's description.
- Premiere Peau — Hops — published perfumery reference.
- Olfactory profile: the RUŌOD Lab team's synthesis of the published descriptions above, reviewed 21 October 2026. Evidence: more than one published description. Classification and the short description: revision 1. Descriptions of odour are judgement, not measurement.