Breeding/Development: Czech Republic. Named for the town of Zatec, Saaz is the major landrace variety of the hopyards of the Czech Republic and the quintessential noble hop. It accounts for over 80% of the total acreage in its home country.

Brewing Application: Aroma. Indispensable for authentic Bohemian-style Pilsner, Saaz possesses a mild but distinctively spicy, pungent quality that is equally at home in other pale lager styles as well as Belgian and farmhouse ales.

Sensory: Soft, pleasantly spicy and herbal with vivid woodsy, earthy, and dark floral character. Distinctively “hoppy” in pale worts. Rootstock grown elsewhere doesn’t have the same range or balance as Czech flowers.