with the occasional rant about tin openers...

Friday, June 21, 2013

Dana (Super Styrian) hop

There's not much about this hop online, I presume because it's relatively new.

So, exclusively, my take.

Dana, a super Styrian, high alpha hop from Slovenia. 10.9% alpha acids.
Bred from Hallertau and Magnum in the Slovenia hop research centre.

Fantastic bitterness, very gentle but prominent all the same. As a late and dry hop it imparts a minty/herbal character. Not unpleasant, but not what you'd expect from the lemony aroma when the pack is opened. Similarly, the cat-like aroma that the oxidised hops exhibit doesn't carry over into the finished beer.

I made a Dana / Vienna SMaSH, with Brewferm lager yeast, and I was very impressed with the bitterness, and although the mintiness wasn't exactly what I was expecting, neither was it unpleasant. I'll be brewing an English style bitter with it soon enough, but with Goldings of some sort for the late hops.

To conclude: if you like minty/herbal, go for it. Very gentle bitterness.
Beers to try: Arbor Single Hop Dana, Acorn Dana IPA and Itchen Valley Dana