In this month’s column we evaluate ingredients from RCB International, a supplier of globally sourced essential oils with emphasis on North American mint oils. RCB, located in the heart of the Willamette Valley of Oregon, was founded in 1992 by Mr. John G. Wendel, who serves as a senior advisor. RCB supplies essential oils of peppermint, spearmint, erospicata and other mint varieties.
Organoleptic Evaluation Panelists
- Dr Andrea Albertino, Senior Flavorist, Esarom
- Dr Kavita Bhatnagar, C.E.O., Kanegrade Flavors & Ingredients
- John Forbes, Consultant, Ceressence Consultancy
- Trevor Groome, Consultant Flavorist – Director, Orchid Aromatech Ltd
- Dr Bimal Karmakar, Principal Flavorist, Givaudan
- Britta Nobis, Senior Flavorist, Silesia
- Dr Maria Palassarou, Flavorist, Givaudan
- Dr Ján Peťka, Head of Flavor Development, Austria Juice
- Michele Pezzotta, Flavorist, Silesia Flavors
Yakima Peppermint Oil
Product Description: Essential oil of the Mentha piperita L. plant grown in the Yakima Valley and Columbia River Basin area of Washington State, extracted by steam distillation.
Major Components: l-menthol 40.5%, l-menthone 15.7%, menthyl acetate 7%, menthofuran 4.2%, neo-menthol 4.4%, iso-menthone 2.7%.
FEMA #2848, CAS #8006-90-4.
Odor Descriptors @100%: Fresh, green, minty, herbal, mentholic, cooling sensation, leafy notes, sweet, honey-like, woody, warm spicy, musty, slightly rubbery, faint asphalt, sage notes, slightly acidic.
Taste Descriptors @10ppm: Cooling, minty, herbal, fresh, green, mentholic, sweet, honey-like, slightly floral chamomile notes, earthy, sage notes, hay, tingling sensation, musty, delayed bitterness, late asphalt note.
Possible Applications: The Yakima oil aroma complexity would complement peppermint and general mint flavor profiles for chewing gum applications, confectionery like mint hard candies and fondants, but also herbal and mint teas. Moreover, it would be a great addition in oral care mint tonalities for toothpaste and mouthwash applications.
Willamette Peppermint
Product Description: Essential oil of the Mentha piperita L. plant grown in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, extracted by steam distillation.
Willamette Peppermint can be used in intense peppermint teas and herbal blends.Václav Mach at Adobe Stock
Major Components: l-menthol 42.6%, l-menthone 17.9%, menthyl acetate 4.7%, menthofuran 2.6%, neo-menthol 3.7%, iso-menthone 3%.
FEMA #2848, CAS #8006-90-4.
Odor Descriptors @100%: Minty, green, herbal, mentholic, cooling sensation, sweet, powdery, rubbery notes, wormwood-like, woody, warm, peppermint leaves, musty, hay, faint coconut notes.
Taste Descriptors @10ppm: Cooling sensation, fresh, minty, mentholic, herbal, green, sweet, hay, musty, wormwood-like, earthy, slight bitter taste, pungent sensation, long lasting.
Possible Applications: Willamette oil complexity and intensity would complement all high‑impact peppermint applications, like strong chewing gum and candy, “extra‑cool” oral care mint tonalities, intense peppermint teas or herbal blends, and products where a vivid, punchy peppermint is required, like mint-flavored liquors.
Peppermint Oil Special Blend
Product Description: A proprietary blend of essential oils of Mentha species plants, grown in North America and extracted by steam distillation.
Major Components: l-menthol 42.6%, l-menthone 23.5%, menthyl acetate 5.5%, menthofuran 1.2%, neo-menthol 3.2%, iso-menthone 4.6%.
FEMA #2848, CAS #8006-90-4.
Odor Descriptors @100%: Strong cooling upfront sensation, fresh, clean, mentholic, green leafy, herbal, peppermint, spicy, warm, wormwood-like, woody, earthy, hay notes, slightly sweet musty, faint metallic.
Taste Descriptors @10ppm: Cooling sensation upfront, mentholic, peppermint character, green, fresh, herbal, warm, woody, spicy, sweet, musty, hay notes, slightly soapy, faint metallic notes, slight bitterness.
Possible Applications: The peppermint blend complexity would provide versatility to mint flavor profiles for a wide range of applications, like chewing gum, confectionery, chocolate, chocolate beverages paired with a mint note, herbal and mint teas and oral care applications.
Midwest Peppermint
Product Description: Essential oil of the Mentha piperita L. plant grown in the Midwest States of Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan, extracted by steam distillation.
Major Components: l-menthol 37.5%, l-menthone 25.1%, menthyl acetate 3.7%, menthofuran 2.5%, neo-menthol 3.2%, iso-menthone 3.7%.
FEMA #2848, CAS #8006-90-4.
Odor Descriptors @100%: Herbal, dried tea leaves notes, musty, warm, earthy, woody, slightly weedy, green, grassy, minty, cooling, mentholic, wormwood-like, sage notes, faint floral lavender.
Taste Descriptors @10ppm: Herbal, dried tea leaves notes, grassy, minty, cooling, earthy, woody, musty, hay, sage notes, weedy, slightly rubbery, faint brown notes, tingling sensation, mild bitterness, rounded balanced profile.
Possible Applications: Midwest Peppermint’s leafy character would complement mint flavor tonalities for herbal and mint teas, chocolate and chocolate beverages paired with mint notes, chewing gum and confectionary applications like fondant cream candies, and also oral care profiles with a more herbal element. Lastly, it might be a great addition in savory tonalities where a “fresh herb” impression is needed rather than confectionery peppermint.
Midwest Peppermint’s leafy character would complement mint flavor tonalities for chocolate mint beverages. Vlad at Adobe Stock
Idaho Peppermint
Product Description: Essential oil of the Mentha piperita L. plant grown in the Boise area of Idaho and the far east regions of Oregon near the Idaho border, extracted by steam distillation.
Major Components: l-menthol 43%, l-menthone 15.4%, menthyl acetate 7.3%, menthofuran 3.3%, neo-menthol 4.3%, iso-menthone 2.7%.
FEMA #2848, CAS #8006-90-4.
Odor Descriptors @100%: Minty, mentholic, clean cooling sensation, green, grassy, herbal, earthy, woody, musty, slight rubbery plastic nuances, sweet, hay, slight dried fruit notes, sage, faint hop aroma.
Taste Descriptors @10ppm: Green, fresh, minty, grassy, mild cooling sensation, herbal, earthy, woody, slight rubbery, musty, dried fruit notes, hay nuances, tingling sensation, faint asphalt note, slight bitterness.
Possible applications: The Idaho peppermint profile would complement peppermint and general mint flavor profiles for chewing gum, confectionery, beverages and teas, as well as oral care applications.
Farwest Scotch Spearmint
Product Description: Essential oil of the Mentha cardiaca plant grown in the Yakima Valley and Columbia River Basin area of Washington State, extracted by steam distillation.
Major Components: l-limonene 17.1%, l-carvone 68.9%.
FEMA #4221, CAS #91770-24-0.
Odor Descriptors @100%: Fresh, green, spearmint, sweet, caraway notes, herbal, spicy, peppery, hay nuances, musty, earthy, mild cooling sensation, slight sulfur notes.
Taste Descriptors @10ppm: Green, minty, fresh, sweet, caraway notes, herbal, hay, powdery, woody, spicy, peppery, musty, earthy, slightly rubbery, mild cooling and tingling sensation, slight bitterness.
Possible Applications: Farwest Scotch Spearmint’s fresh, green profile would provide complexity to various spearmint flavor tonalities for chewing gum, confectionary, herbal mint teas and beverages, as well as oral care applications.
Farwest Native Spearmint
Product Description: Essential oil of the Mentha spicata plant grown in the Yakima Valley and Columbia River Basin area of Washington State, extracted by steam distillation.
Major Components: l-limonene 12.3%, l-carvone 66%.
FEMA #3032, CAS #8008-79-5.
Odor Descriptors @100%: Sweet, fresh, green, herbal, spearmint, powdery, floral notes, musty nuances, earthy, spicy, slight cooling sensation, wormwood-like, full-bodied.
Taste Descriptors @10ppm: Sweet, fresh, green, minty, herbal, spicy, woody, hay notes, powdery, floral, warm, slight musty, rubbery, mild cooling and tingling sensation, slight bitterness.
Possible Applications: Farwest Native Spearmint’s candy character would complement all sweet mint profiles for a wide range of applications like confectionery, chewing gums, beverages and herbal teas with a “garden mint” character, as well as mild mint oral care tonalities.
Erospicata
Product Description: Essential oil of the Mentha spicata L., Erospicata plant grown in North America, extracted by steam distillation.
Major Components: l-menthone 56.4%, iso-menthone 17.6%, neo-menthol 1.6%, pulegone 1.8%, germacrene-d 5.3%.
FEMA #4777, CAS #1563063-07-9.
Odor Descriptors @100%: Minty, herbal, green, fresh, leafy, sweet, candy, earthy, musty nuances, woody, pungent terpenic, rubbery notes, mild cooling sensation, creamy, brown notes.
Taste Descriptors @10ppm: Minty, herbal, fresh, brown malty notes, musty, earthy, sweet, powdery, warm, woody, honey notes, slight spicy, creamy nuances, mild cooling and tingling sensation, faint soapy notes, slight bitterness.
Possible Applications: Erospicata’s characteristic brown-cocoa element would complement chocolate flavor tonalities paired with mint notes for confectionery, desserts and beverages, apart from sweet mint profiles for a wide range of applications.
