Celebrating the unique character of Czech beer, London’s Bohem Brewery is launching Most, a single-hop lager brewed in collaboration with hop merchant Charles Faram.
The beer is named after the Most hop, developed by Charles Faram and grown exclusively in the Czech Republic. Bohem is one of a handful of brewers taking part in a select series of international collaborations spotlighting the hop.
After six weeks in the refrigerated lagering tanks at Bohem’s north London brewery, the dry-hopped, single-hopped, limited edition Czech lager (4.5% ABV) is now available in kegs and cans, while stocks last.
The brewing collaboration day saw Charles Faram’s managing director, Paul Corbett, and sales manager/brewer, Jon Stringer, join Bohem head brewer Matěj Krizek. The team used the brewery’s authentic Czech decoction brewing kit to create a beer that spotlights the flavour profile of the Most hop, which has been in development over the past five years.
Most lager has a grapefruit and melon aroma, with a complex taste profile for a single-hop lager. Initial ripe fruits contribute to a balance of sweet and savoury notes. A soft, full mouthfeel and subtle bitterness round out a drinkable beer that tastes bigger than its 4.5% ABV, says the brewer.
Paul said: “Most is a very new hop and still in trials. Brewing with Bohem gave us a chance to see how the hop performs ‘under fire’, using real-world Czech brewing kit and producing a commercial beer with genuine appeal to lager drinkers.”
Essential Czech character
Bohem and five Canadian breweries have joined in a technical collaboration with Charles Faram to unlock the creative potential of this burgeoning hop.
For Matěj, and brewing assistant Honza Svatek, it was an opportunity to create a lager that highlights the light fruity characteristics of Most, including tropical fruits and strawberry, while still retaining the essential character and spicy finish of a classic Czech lager.
“Most is a complex hop that has delivered a complex beer, which is different to anything else we brew,” said Matěj. “We’re really pleased that Charles Faram has given us the opportunity to work with the new hop, and it was great to work with Paul and Jon on the collaboration.”
Most is a dual-purpose hop that can used for aroma or bittering. It was developed by Charles Faram and named Most by the Czech growers, meaning ‘bridge’, as it was seen as a bridge between the UK and the Czech Republic. It is a sister variety of Charles Faram UK hop varieties Jester and Olicana.
