From Vol. 4, No. 9, January 2021
Heritage: Styrian Golding, also known as Savinjski Golding, is not a Golding. It is a Fuggle. When disease ravaged hops of German heritage being grown in Slovenia in the 1930s, farmers acquired new stock from England. What they thought were Goldings were Fuggles. For the complete history of Fuggle see Martyn Cornell’s article in the Master Brewers Association of the America’s Technical Quarterly (sorry, you must be an MBAA member to access this).
The basics: 4-6% alpha acids, 2-4% beta acids, .5-1.5% mL/100 grams.
Aroma qualities: Spicy, peppery, grassy, earthy, lemongrass.
Heads up: The Slovenian Institute of Hop Research and Brewing has released many new varieties with Styrian as part of their names. These include Styrian Wolf, Styrian Cardinal and Styrian Dragon. They are bred to exhibit New World character. That makes them totally appropriate for a modern IPA, but not at all like the Styrian Golding that Duvel Moortgat uses to make Duvel. When in doubt, look for Savinjski Golding. Celia, which was bred to improve the agronomics of Savinjski and retain her aroma characteristics, is a suitable substitution.