4-ethyl phenol

1.0 mg

“Band aid, like a cider contaminated with Brettanomyces”

Cider flavour standard used to train professional beer tasters to recognize and scale the intensity of ethyl phenol character. Ethyl phenol is produced by contaminant Brettanomyces yeasts and sometimes by lactic acid bacteria. This compound imparts an unpleasant 'band-aid' note to cider, occasionally described as 'horse-like' or 'barnyard'. At low levels ethyl phenol contributes to product complexity.

Food grade | free from sensory impurities | extensively tested | safe to smell and taste.

  • Label image
  • Chemical structure

Flavour cards

Flavour standard information

Technical specification

Assessment
Cover the sample with your hand and swirl the glass to release the aroma. Remove your hand and take a single long sniff. Repeat as necessary.
Amount of flavour per capsule
1.0 mg
Threshold
300 µg / l in cider
Origins
Produced by contaminant Brettanomyces (Dekkera) yeasts and, occasionally lactic acid bacteria, during cider production. Products which are low in sulphur dioxide are particularly sensitive to growth of such microorganisms.
Importance
Imparts an unpleasant band aid-like character to cider, described by some as ‘barny’ or ‘horsey’. At low levels the odour resembles that of leather. In traditional ciders, growth of Brettanomyces can add complexity to the product, helping to differentiate it from other ciders.
CAS registry number
123-07-9
Other names
  • p-ethyl phenol
  • para-ethyl phenol
  • 1-ethyl-4-hydroxybenzene
  • 4-ethylphenol
  • 1-hydroxy-4-ethyl benzene
  • 4-hydroxyethyl benzene
  • 4-hydroxyphenyl ethane
Remarks
Ethyl phenol often occurs in combination with other compounds produced by Brettanomyces, including acetic acid, ethyl acetate, isovaleric acid, and other phenolic compounds such as ethyl guaiacol.
Threshold distribution
Graph
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