Hops

Does hops grow in Central Bohemia? Not in any significant amount: the hops for Kozel, Krušovice, and Herold come from Czech growing regions further north. The most famous is Žatec, known in German as Saaz. Žatecký chmel has carried PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) status since 2007.

Typical of the region is the Saaz Late variety, known in Czech as Žatecký poloraný červeňák. It's considered a fine aroma hop: it brings little bittering power but a spicy, grassy, slightly floral aroma. For this reason it's added in small doses, to perfume the beer rather than make it overly bitter.

How bitter a Bohemian lager turns out is measured in IBU, a unit for the bitter compounds in beer. By competition standards, a Pils from Bohemia sits between 30 and 45 IBU. The relationship with malt sweetness matters here too: it catches the bitterness and rounds it off.

What role do hops play in the process? They go into the brew kettle and are boiled together with the wort, the still-unfermented sugar solution. Adding them early draws out mostly bitterness. Adding them late in the boil preserves more aroma in the wort.

Herold in Březnice, Kozel in Velké Popovice, and Krušovice all carry a pale lager in their lineup, yet each brand sets its own accent through malt and hops. Anyone wanting to taste the differences for themselves should drink the beers side by side in one evening and pay attention to the finish: does the bitterness stay brief, or does it linger?