Saaz

Saaz is an old Czech hop variety. The Czech name is Žatecký poloraný červeňák: the half-early Žatec hop with red bines. Saaz is the German name of the town of Žatec, the centre of the hop region of the same name. It is a landrace: not a cross made by a breeder, but the result of centuries of selection of plants in the region. Today's Saaz consists of clones of these. The best known, by the Czech breeder Karel Osvald, were registered in 1952.

Saaz is the most important hop variety grown in the Czech Republic. Since 2007, 'Žatecký chmel' has been a protected designation of origin (PDO) in the EU. According to the Czech growers' association, that name may only be used on registered Saaz clones from the Žatec region. Genetically, Saaz is closely related to the German landraces Tettnanger and Spalter: in Czech DNA research they could not be told apart with the markers used, because they descend from the same original genotype.

Saaz does not give an exuberant fruit aroma, but a fine, mild one. Brewing author John Palmer calls the aroma delicate, mild and floral. The BJCP describes the hop bouquet of a Czech premium pilsner as spicy, floral or herbal. The hop merchant BarthHaas mentions tarragon, lavender, cedarwood and a hint of honey, among others; Hopsteiner settles on grass and lemon.

Chemically, Saaz stands out for a lot of farnesene in the hop oil: according to the Czech growers' association 14–20%. According to the association, other hops have little of it, although that does not apply to its close relative Tettnanger (14–24% according to Hopsteiner). Spanish research that compared Saaz with Nugget and Perle also pointed out the high level of beta-farnesene in Saaz as striking. Myrcene, a compound that smells green, resinous and of fresh hops, is present in Saaz in relatively small amounts, according to the association.

Fruity thiols are not a main feature of Saaz. Hopsteiner rates their influence as low, and in Belgian research the thiol profile of beer with Saaz resembled that of beer without hops. However, in other Belgian research Saaz proved an important source of bound precursors, although lager yeast in trials released only a small share (up to 0.35%) of such bound precursors. In a third Belgian trial, a spicy hop aroma compound, which passed unchanged from hop to beer, was the strongest aroma in beer with Saaz, as in beer with Challenger; linalool also survived into the beer.

Saaz is an aroma hop with little alpha acid: about 3–5%, varying by harvest. It even contains more beta acids than alpha acids. Because bitterness comes mainly from alpha acids, Saaz gives little bitterness per gram. Palmer calls it a finishing hop for Bohemian lagers. In trials by the Czech hop institute, ten minutes before the end of the boil was the best moment for the last hop addition, and in a tasting, beers with Saaz pellets scored better than beers with CO2 extract of Saaz.

• Substitutes: Palmer mentions Tettnanger, Spalt and Sterling; the hop merchant Hopsteiner mentions Tettnanger, Spalter, Lublin and Nobella.
• Descendants: Czech breeders made new varieties based on Saaz. According to the growers' association, Saaz Late (2010) has similar brewing properties and a higher yield.
• Outside the Czech Republic: Saaz also grows elsewhere, for example in Germany (159 ha in 2025); in 1990 it was also planted in Idaho. Under European protection, such hops may not be called Žatecký chmel.

According to the Czech growers' association, the origin of hops was already being marked in the 16th century, and in 1769 Empress Maria Theresa issued a patent against hop adulteration, with official sealing. According to the Czech hop institute, Karel Osvald is the most important Czech hop breeder. His clones 31, 72 and 114, registered in 1952, still made up the largest part of Czech hop gardens in 2012.

In 1990, Osvald clone 72 was planted in northern Idaho for commercial cultivation. In 2007 the EU registered 'Žatecký chmel' as a protected designation of origin; according to the growers' association, this was the first EU designation for hops.

A good starting point is a Czech pilsner. The BJCP describes a spicy, floral or herbal hop bouquet there alongside rich, bready malt, with a clear but soft, rounded bitterness. According to the BJCP, soft water contributes to that soft hop profile. Smell first: Saaz is subtle, so look for something fine, spicy and floral. Then compare with a German pilsner or a helles, which the BJCP describes with traditional German hops.