Saaz Hops

The next hop variety in the noble hops series is Saaz Hops.  They originate from the Czech Republic, specifically in the region around the town of Žatec…

…which was formally known as Saaz when it was a part of Austria…

…and Istanbul was once Constantinople.

The people of this region have been growing and harvesting this hop for hundreds of years (700+).   Now that’s a traditional hop.

They are the signature hop of Pilsner Urquell.  Some people would argue you cannot brew a pilsner without using Saaz.

I have seen Belgian versions of Saaz hops, but my home brew shop has the Czech version available pretty readily.

Origin: Czech (see above for more details)

Aroma/Flavor: Mild spicy, earthy, some sources stated a cinnamon-like flavor.  I think they define ‘spicy’ in terms of the spectrum of hop flavor.

Alpha Acid: 3% to 4.5%

Typical Usage: Aroma

Beer Styles: Pilsners, Other German and American Lagers

Other Noble hops include:

• Hallertauer

• Tettnang

• Spalt