Cicero Hops

Cicero stands as a rare, heritage European aroma cultivar developed in the 1980s by the legendary breeder Dr. Dragica Kralj at the Hop Research Institute in Žalec, Slovenia. Bred from a strategic cross between the prominent Slovenian cultivar Aurora and a vigorous, tetraploid Yugoslavian male line, this unique variety is a direct genetic sister to Cekin. Officially introduced to the global research community in the spring of 1990 when its rhizomes were cataloged under USDA Accession No. 21614, Cicero was engineered to deliver robust yields and exceptional agronomic performance. However, due to its fair vigor and subpar yields when transitioned to Pacific Northwest test plots, along with a lack of widespread acceptance by the broader commercial brewing community, it was never grown on a large scale. Today, it remains a highly unique curiosity confined to low-acreage preservation plots and historic collections for craft archivists.

The aromatic footprint of Cicero serves as a classic, pure expression of old-world European noble styling, beautifully echoing the delicate, refined sensory attributes of traditional Styrian Goldings. It projects a polite, hoppy-fresh bouquet deeply rooted in rustic undertones of freshly tilled earth, forest loam, and dried autumn botanicals. This grounded character is cleanly supported by a distinct, bright herbal tea layer and soft flashes of warm, woody spices like ground nutmeg and dried cedar shavings. Entirely free from the intense tropical esters, sharp citrus oils, or heavy resinous notes characteristic of contemporary New World hybrids, Cicero offers a serene, exceptionally clean aroma and a smooth, non-lingering bitterness that perfectly accentuates the soft, bready profiles of continental malts.