Hops are a critical ingredient in beer. Aroma characterization of hops is complex; there are many compounds in hops that contribute to flavor. This application note describes a system that is able to provide both an objective chemical analysis of hop aroma using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and, at the same time, provide the means for the user to monitor the olfactory character of each component as it elutes from the chromatographic column. Such an approach allows the user to gain a fuller characterization of a particular hop sample.