is a traditional Bavarian hop variety. Before there were hop breeding programs for the scientific development of specific hop varieties with select properties, brewers made beer with so-called land races. These were indigenous varieties that had been cultivated from local, often wild, varieties. Hop growers selected and propagated these varieties mostly for such desirable attributes as high yield per hectare and good disease resistance. Hersbrucker Spät is one such variety. It has no pedigree in the classic sense.

It is named after the small town of Hersbruck in central Franconia near Nuremberg, Bavaria, at the northern edge of the Hallertau region where it is still planted on a small scale today. See hallertau. Hersbrucker Spät is a fairly fast-growing, fairly late-maturing hop, and is highly resistant to most diseases, but slightly susceptible to downy mildew. See downy mildew. In its heyday in the 19th century, Hersbrucker Spät was one of Germany’s most important aroma varieties. While its bittering values are fairly low—between 2% and 4.5% alpha acids—its aroma profile is delicate and complex, with slightly floral-fruity notes that make it still a favorite for traditional unfiltered Franconian beer styles such as kellerbier.See also kellerbier.