Wolnzach/Hüll, 29. August 2019 On the occasion of the Hop Tour (Hopfenrundfahrt) 2019, the Society of Hop Research presented the new hop variety DIAMANT to the public together with the working group Hop Breeding of the Bavarian State Institute for Agriculture.
Land varieties from the Saazer Formenkreis such as SPALTER and TETTNANGER with their fine-spicy hop aroma are in great demand among brewers worldwide. But it is becoming increasingly difficult for hop growers to cultivate these old land varieties economically.
With the new variety DIAMANT, a direct daughter of SPALTER, the former Hüll breeder Herbert Ehrmaier has succeeded in developing a new aroma variety which combines the extremely fine aroma profile of SPALTER with competitive agronomic characteristics.
DIAMANT has proven the decisive breeding progress in comparison to his mother SPALTER in many years of cultivation tests. In addition, numerous brewing trials prove that the new breed conjures up a classic fine hoppy aroma profile in beer. This is also confirmed by the Diamant beer from the St. Johann experimental brewery, which was served to interested participants for tasting during the Hop Tour.
Dr. Michael Möller, chairman of the Society of Hop Research appealed to the brewing industry to use the advantages of the new Hüller aroma varieties even more intensively and to include the varieties in classic and innovative recipes. “In the long term, the only way to meet the challenges of climate change and more extensive land use is to restructure the range of varieties in hop-growing regions,” said Dr. Möller. However, the demand for modern, climate-tolerant varieties must first come from the brewing industry.
For more information on DIAMANT, please click here.
