Saaz is a "noble" variety of hops. It was named after the Czech town of Žatec (German: Saaz). This hop is used extensively in Bohemia to flavor beer as the Czech pilsner.
Saaz hops accounted for more than +2⁄3 of total 2009 hop production in the Czech Republic.[1] It is the main hop variety used in the production of global beer Stella Artois, a Belgian pilsner.
Saaz has a distinctive flavour. When used in beer, the resultant aroma is very mild, earthy, herbal and spicy. Despite its popularity and noble pedigree, Saaz generally has a very low Alpha acid level and is not very effective as a bittering hop. This hop is generally used for Bohemian style lagers and pilseners.[2]
Another variety of Saaz hops has been propagated in the United States of America. The US variety has a higher Alpha acid content than the original Czech variety.[3]
