Special beer BUD Premier Select made from fresh hops has been awarded the best 2013 limited beer edition by the “Pivo, Bier & Ale” magazine

Special beer BUD Premier Select Limited Edition received an important award from the professional monthly “Pivo, Bier & Ale”, coming first in the “Best Limited Edition Sold in 2013” category. The awarded special batch of BUD was brewed using freshly harvested cones of Saaz hops and contained brewing yeast as well.  Fresh hop cones rank amongst the rarest brewing ingredients, as they must be processed instantly after their harvest, therefore on the same day they were picked. For that reason they are only used infrequently in brewing.  

“We created a unique beer special, which was primarily intended for beer connoisseurs. Fresh hops provide the beer with a higher amount of aromatic substances and a rather more distinct bitterness. Brewing yeast adds a fine yeast accent to the flavour, thus increasing the natural fullness of the beer and overall improving its sensory qualities,” says Budweiser Budvar’s brewmaster Adam Brož, Ph.D. The BUD Premier Select Limited Edition of 400 hectolitres was brewed last August Owing to the extraordinary long maturing period of 200 days the beer was supplied in 20-litre kegs only to selected restaurants around the Czech Republic in March 2013.

“As the extraordinary batch of beer turned out to be very successful, we decided to repeat it. A new batch, which is to appear on the market in March 2014, is presently maturing in the cellar,” adds Adam Brož. On Tuesday 3rd September in the morning, the hops of the Saaz “Žatecký poloraný červeňák” cultivar used in this year’s batch weighing a total of 360 kg were harvested on the “Splav“ hop field, which belongs to the famous locality of “Golden Stream Valley” in the cadastre of the hop-growing municipality of Blšany. On the same day at about 4 p.m., the freshly picked hops were in Budweiser Budvar’s brewing house added to a special batch of BUD Premier Select - beer with 16% gravity and a final alcohol content of 7.5% vol.  Numbering amongst the leading Czech companies on the hop market, ARIX, joint-stock company supplied the hops.

“The hopping took place in the traditional way we use for all the other beers - by manually-adding the hop cones directly into the mashing pot in three lots. The fresh hops supply the beer with a higher amount of aromatic substances and a rather more distinct, yet fine bitterness as compared with dried hops,” explains Adam Brož.

Budweiser Budvar Brewery has only brewed one 400-hectolitre batch of beer using fresh hops this year. The special beer made from fresh hops is going to be supplied in 20-litre kegs only to selected restaurants and pubs around the Czech Republic.