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New Czech fine aroma hop varieties (Humulus lupulus L.) – Saaz Brilliant, Saaz Comfort and Saaz Shine – have found extensive use in hop growing and beer brewing
Vladimír Nesvadba, Jana Olšovská, Jitka Charvátová, Sabina Trnková and Gabriela Fritschová

The renowned Saaz hop variety is primarily used for the production of lager beers. Saaz is the genetic basis for the new Saaz Brilliant, Saaz Comfort and Saaz Shine breeding lines. The present study evaluated the stability and stability trends of the new hop varieties over a period of twenty years based on the content of alpha and beta acids and their ratio. The study also included a comparison between lager beers hopped with the new hop varieties and those hopped with Saaz. The results of long-term monitoring show that the content of alpha acids of the new aroma hops in the Saaz Brilliant, Saaz Comfort and Saaz Shine breeding lines ranges between 2.16 and 5.36 % w/w, 3.39 and 8.73 % w/w and 2.07 and 7.22 % w/w, respectively. Saaz Brilliant has the highest variability in the content of alpha acids. In contrast, Saaz Shine has the lowest variability and demonstrates an increasing trend in the content of alpha acids. All three hop varieties fall within the category of fine aroma hops, which provide beer with a fine bitterness and a hoppy aroma. Saaz Shine has a lower intensity of bitterness with a fine character and is more suitable for lighter lager beers. In contrast, Saaz Comfort with its higher intensity of bitterness and a longer aftertaste is more fitting for the “Premium Lager” category. The new hop varieties also demonstrate a very good drought tolerance. Their unique qualities are attracting growing interest, leading to an increase in their cultivation area in the Czech Republic.

Descriptors: Fine aroma hops; Saaz; Saaz Brilliant; Saaz Comfort; Saaz Shine; lager

BrewingScience, 77 (November/December 2024), pp. 142-149