TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The zeolite is selected from BEA-type zeolite, zeolite X, zeolite Y, zeolite ZSM 5, and zeolite ZSM 12. The Group V metal oxide comprises niobium oxide (Nb2O5). The alkaline earth metal exchanged molecular sieve comprises a molecular sieve selected from barium exchanged molecular sieve and calcium exchanged molecular sieve. The metal on the metal oxide support comprises a non-noble metal comprising nickel. The catalytic metal dispersed on the metal oxide support comprises the non-noble metal and a material comprising elements selected from molybdenum, cobalt, and/or tungsten. The catalytic metal on the metal oxide support comprises a composition selected from: (a) about 0.5-3.5 wt.% of nickel and about 5-20 wt.% of molybdenum, (b) about 0.1-1.5 wt.% of nickel, about 0.5-3.5 wt.% of cobalt, and about 5-20 wt.% of molybdenum, and (c) about 0.5-3.5 wt.% of nickel and about 5-20 wt.% of tungsten. The catalytic metal on the metal oxide support comprises non-noble metal comprising cobalt. The metal oxide support comprises about 0.5-3.5 wt.% of cobalt, about 5-20 wt.% of molybdenum. The catalytic metal on the metal oxide support comprises a noble metal selected from platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, palladium, and/or iridium. The metal oxide support comprises a metal oxide selected from titanium oxide (TiO2), zirconium oxide (ZrO2), niobium oxide (Nb2O5), and/or silicon oxide (SiO2). The catalyst composition comprises a sulfated zirconia. The noble metal comprises palladium.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The alcohol comprises an aliphatic alcohol selected from methanol, ethanol, propanol and butanol. Preferred Method: The step of esterifying the treated acid-containing biomass-derived pyrolysis oil involves esterifying at a temperature of 180-290 degrees C at a pressure of about 4.41 MPa (640 psi) to about 8.00 MPa (1160 psi); or esterifying for a residence time of 1 hour to about 3 hours; or subjecting the treated acid-containing biomass-derived pyrolysis oil to esterification in the absence of gas. The step of pre-treating the biomass-derived pyrolysis oil involves subjecting the biomass-derived pyrolysis oil to a metal-reduction ion-exchange process; or removing solids from the biomass-derived pyrolysis oil; or reducing a water content of the biomass-derived pyrolysis oil. The process (P1) further involves the step of diluting the treated acid-containing biomass-derived pyrolysis oil with ethanol to form a solution of at least 30 wt.% ethanol, before the step of esterifying. The step of esterifying involves esterifying in an up-flow tubular reactor. The process (P1) further involves the step of distilling the low-acid biomass-derived pyrolysis oil to separate ethanol from the low-acid biomass-derived pyrolysis oil. EXAMPLE - One hundred (100) g of the pre-blended feed was added to an autoclave including 5.0 g of 0.5% platinum on gamma -alumina. A head pressure of nitrogen about 2.75 MPa (400 psig) was added to the autoclave. The autoclave was then heated to a temperature of about 255 degrees C. The temperature was maintained for about 1.8 hours, and a maximum pressure of about 12.41 MPa (1800 psig) was achieved to provide supercritical conditions for the ethanol and to esterify the oil in the pre-blended feed. After the reaction, the pressure at room temperature was 4.13 MPa (600 psig). No solids were found in the autoclave, and about 10 g of the liquid was converted to gas. The total acid number (TAN) of the esterified feed was about 65.62, where 25.24 of the TAN was attributed to carboxylic acid and 40.38 of the TAN was attributed to phenolic.