Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs
Date: 2009-03-27
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Czechia, alcoholic beverage, beer, designation of origin, location of production, product designation

27.3.2009

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Official Journal of the European Union

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OTHER ACTS

COMMISSION

Publication of an application pursuant to Article 6(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on
the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and
foodstuffs

(2009/C 73/07)

This publication confers the right to object to the application pursuant to Article 7 of Council Regulation
(EC) No 510/2006 (1). Statements of objection must reach the Commission within six months from the date
of this publication.

SUMMARY

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 510/2006

‘ČERNÁ HORA’

EC No: CZ-PGI-0005-0409-19.10.2004

PDO ( ) PGI ( X )

This summary sets out the main elements of the product specification for information purposes.

1. Responsible department in the Member State:

Name:

Úřad průmyslového vlastnictví

Address: Antonína Čermáka 2a

160 68 Praha 6-Bubeneč
ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA

Tel.

Fax

+420 220383111

+420 224324718

E-mail:

posta@upv.cz

2. Group:

Name:

Address:

Tel.

Fax

Pivovar Černá Hora, a. s.

Černá Hora 3/5
679 21 Černá Hora
ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA

+420 516482411

+420 516437201

E-mail:

ekonom@pivovarch.cz

Composition: Producers/processors ( X ) Other ( )

(1) OJ L 93, 31.3.2006, p. 12.

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This application derogates from Article 5(1) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006 on account of the fact
that there is only one producer in the area. The requirements laid down in Article 2 of Commission
Regulation (EC) No 1898/2006 are fulfilled.

3.

Type of product:

Class 2.1: Beer

4.

Specification:

(Summary of requirements under Article 4(2) of Regulation (EC) No 510/2006)

4.1. Name:

‘Černá Hora’

4.2. Description:

The light beer is medium to highly attenuated, golden yellow to golden brown in colour, good head
with strong bite, medium to full-favoured, with a clean flavour of malt and hops, and hoppy aroma.
The fullness of flavour is mainly due to the presence of unfermented residual extract, characterised by a
difference between apparent and real attenuation. A very faint yeasty or fruity (ester) taste and aroma is
permitted. The low intensity of the whole aroma is indicative of the relatively low content of unwanted
fermentation by-products. The beer is medium to high in bitterness, and has a slight to mild harshness,
with longer finish.

The dark beer is medium to highly attenuated, reddish to red-brown in colour with good head,
pleasantly hoppy taste and aroma. It has a medium bite and a typically full flavour, owing to the differ-
ence between apparent and real attenuation and to the unfermentable compounds in the raw materials.
Caramel and treacle are admissible by-flavours.

Varieties of beer and the sensory characteristics thereof:

The Světlý ležák (light lager) is medium to highly attenuated, golden yellow to golden brown in colour,
good head with strong bite, medium-favoured, with clean flavour of malt and hops and a hoppy
aroma. A very faint yeasty or fruity (ester) taste and aroma is permitted. The beer is of medium bitter-
ness, and has a slight harshness, with longer finish.

The Světlé výčepní pivo (light draught beer) is medium to highly attenuated, golden yellow to golden
brown in colour, good head with strong bite, full-favoured, with a clean flavour of malt and a hoppy
aroma. A very faint yeasty or fruity (ester) taste and aroma is permitted. The beer is high in bitterness,
moderately harsh, with a longer finish.

The Nefiltrované výčepní pivo (unfiltered draught beer) is characterised by a good head, golden yellow to
golden brown colour, good bite and fullness of flavour, and by a yeasty flavour and aroma. The beer
has a significant, moderately harsh, hoppy bitterness, leaving behind a feeling of pleasant, gradually
diminishing bitterness, without any hint of harshness or astringency.

The Tmavý ležák (dark lager) is a beer with the addition of caramel and coloured malt, medium attenu-
ated, garnet to red-brown in colour, caramel to sweetish taste with delicate bitterness.

The Polotmavé výčepní pivo (semi-dark draught beer) is medium to highly attenuated, reddish to garnet
colour, strong bite, pleasantly hoppy and with a moderately caramel aroma and flavour with good
head.

All types of ‘Černá Hora’ beer are low-fermentation beers characterised by particular sensory qualities,
especially unique aroma and flavour with strong bite.

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Light beer — quality benchmarks:

Pale lager

Pale draught

Unfiltered pale
draught

Original gravity

(% by weight)

11,00-12,99

8,00-10,99

8,00-10,99

Alcohol

Colour

(% by volume)

3,8-6,0

3,5-4,5

3,5-4,5

EBC units

8,0-16,0

7,0-16,0

7,8-16,0

Bitter substances

EBC units

20,0-45,0

16,0-28,0

16,0-28,0

pH

4,2-4,9

4,3-4,7

4,3-4,7

Difference between apparent and
real attenuation

(% rel.)

1,0-10,0

1,0-10,0

1,0-10,0

Polyphenols

(mg/l)

130,0-230,0

130,0-230,0

130,0-230,0

Dark beer, semi-dark beer — quality benchmarks:

Original gravity

(% by weight)

11,00-12,99

8,00-10,99

Dark lager

Semi-dark draught

(% by volume)

3,6-5,7

Alcohol

Colour

Bitter substances

pH

Difference between apparent and
real attenuation

Polyphenols

Raw materials:

B a r l e y m a l t

EBC units

EBC units

(% rel.)

(mg/l)

50,0-120,0

20,0-45,0

4,1-4,8

1,0-10,0

3,5-4,5

16,0-40,0

16,0-28,0

4,3-4,7

1,0-10,0

130,0-230,0

130,0-230,0

This is a light malt, known as ‘Czech malt’, which is produced from two-row spring barley. This barley
malt is characterised by low solubility and fermentation.

The following table shows Congress Wort values produced from barley malt:

Extract in dry malt

(% by weight)

min.

Kolbach index

Diastatic power

Actual attenuation

Friability

H o p s

(%)

(WK units)

(%)

(%)

min.

max.

min.

80 %

37-41 %

220

82 %

75 %

This is the Žatecký poloraný červeňák variety. These hops are highly specific: they differ primarily from
other hop varieties in their ratio of alpha to beta-bitter acids and in their beta-farnesene content. Either
dried hops or hop extract is used. (Keep the original wording, where the Žatecký poloraný červeňák
variety rather than SKVN Žatecký chmel is used for the preparation of beer).

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Wa t er

Water from a variety of sources is used in the production of ‘Černá Hora’ beer. In terms of hardness,
this water is considered soft to medium-hard.

B r e w e r ' s y e a s t

Bottom-fermenting yeast strains (Saccharomyces cerevisiae subs. uvarum) are used for producing ‘Černá
Hora’ beer as they offer the requisite difference between apparent and real attenuation under this speci-
fication.

4.3. Geographical area:

The municipality of ‘Černá Hora’ in Southern Moravia, Czech Republic.

4.4. Proof of origin:

The applicant for registration of the geographical designation ‘Černá Hora’ keeps a register of suppliers
of raw materials and a register of buyers of the finished product. For each product, compulsory data on
products, including addresses, are provided, thereby enabling product traceability.

The entire beer production technology is continuously monitored. The implementation and results of
checks are continuously recorded. All raw materials brought in for producing beer are also subject to
quality control. Water quality is checked for microbiological suitability and is regularly controlled. A
written record of all checks is kept. A record is also kept of the individual batches of raw materials
used in the production of individual batches of beer.

Compliance with the specifications is monitored by the Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection
Authority.

4.5. Method of production:

‘Černá Hora’ beer is produced solely by means of the double mash decoction process. Bitter wort is
cooked depending on the beer's original gravity. The process of primary fermentation takes place sepa-
rately from that of
intensification
processes.

the beer. This is classic production without

the maturing of

Beer production begins in the brewing house. After mixing the ground malt with the water, just a third
of the volume is gradually warmed. This enables the starch and other substances of the malt extract to
be transferred into the solution and the starch to be split. The mashing process is repeated twice, and
each mash is warmed separately. After the mashing out process, the residue of the malt culms is sepa-
rated out, giving rise to the first portion of wort. The culm is then drained off with hot water and the
digest is mixed with the first portion of wort. The resulting wort is heated for 80 to 120 minutes with
separately batched hops or hop products to obtain a hopped wort. Each brew is heated at the original
concentration of the wort corresponding to the required gravity of the beer. In other words, during
further production, the gravity of the beer is not altered.

The heated wort is then cooled to fermentation temperature, brewer's yeast is added, in particular
bottom-fermenting yeast strains, and the first, and indeed main, stage of beer fermentation takes place.
This main fermentation stage takes place in classic, open fermenting rooms. The main fermentation
temperature must not exceed 9,5 °C. The main fermentation takes 6 to 12 days, depending on the
gravity of the original wort.

After the completion of main fermentation comes the lagering stage. This takes place at lower tempera-
tures than the main fermentation stage, as low as around 0 °C and under moderate excess pressure in
closed tanks. The lagering process takes 21 to 60 days, depending on the gravity of the beer. During
this stage, the beer becomes clear, is saturated with carbon dioxide, and its flavour is rounded off. This
gives the beer bite, with a dense, firm head. During the lagering stage, the striking flavour and yeasty
smell disappears, the bitterness softens and the aroma typical of certain types of beer emerges. After
the completion of the lagering process, the beer is filtered immediately without first altering the
original gravity and transferred into barrels, bottles and, where applicable, cans or tanks. Unfiltered
beer is also permitted. The end product must satisfy the quality benchmarks set out in the tables in
Section 4.2 of this summary.

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4.6. Link:

The beer for which registration of designation of origin of the term ‘Černá Hora’ has been requested
has been produced continuously in the municipality of ‘Černá Hora’ since the 13th century. The first
written record of the brewery in ‘Černá Hora’ dates back to 1530.

Since then, there has been a rich history of breweries and beer making in ‘Černá Hora’. Many owners
have come and gone, but the production and quality of ‘Černá Hora’ beer has steadily increased. In
1949, the brewery was nationalised and gradually incorporated into various national firms. The
production of
following traditional production
methods and processes. In 1996 the brewery became independent as part of a privatisation drive.

‘Černá Hora’ nevertheless went on uninterrupted,

Records of the brewery's rich history and beer production in ‘Černá Hora’ are contained in many docu-
ments stored in the Moravian national archive in Brno (for example, the Dominican era in ‘Černá
Hora’, the Josefinsky estate for the municipalities of ‘Černá Hora’ and Bořitov and land transfer registry
for the municipalities of ‘Černá Hora’ and Bořitov etc) and also in the archives of the Pivovar Černá
Hora, a.s. (Černá Hora brewery).

With the development of the brewery, beer production increased and the buildings and production
equipment were expanded and modernised accordingly. These changes had only a minor effect on the
uniqueness of ‘Černá Hora’ beer, which can ultimately be considered a beverage derived from a centu-
ries-old tradition. All
‘Černá Hora’ brewers have endeavoured to protect the historic uniqueness of
‘Černá Hora’ beer, which has been only minimally affected over time.

Testament to the quality of ‘Černá Hora’ beer and its popularity is the many prizes it has won in
domestic and international competitions and fairs (for example, the Táborský palcát (Tabor mace), Cena
českých sládků (Czech brewers' prize), Pivo spanilých jízd (Beer of the Hussite campaigns), Zlatý pohár Pivex
(Pivex golden cup) and Česká pivní pečeť (Czech beer seal)).

The fame and popularity of ‘Černá Hora’ beer is also evidenced by the fact that in the municipality of
‘Černá Hora’ a wide-ranging cultural and social event to present the beer produced there has been held
every spring and autumn for the last ten years. In April,
jara (APRÝLES) (Spring
Welcome) and in September the Pivní pouť (Beer fair). These events regularly attract several thousand
visitors, who come not just from around Černá Hora but from all over the Czech Republic, and indeed
abroad.

it is the Vítání

Beer from Černá Hora is also mentioned in various encyclopaedias, for example Verhoef, Berry: Large
Encyclopaedia of Beer, Čestlice, Rebo Productions, 2002; Jackson, Michael: Great Beer Guide, Prague,
Fortuna Print, 2001. Many articles have also been written and published about it in national and local
newspapers and magazines. In Černá Hora itself, the periodical ‘Černohorský máz’ is published, which
among other things provides information on the successes of ‘Černá Hora’ beer in various competitions
and fairs.

In 1995 the Brno historian Leoš Vašek wrote about ‘Černá Hora’ beer in his 1995 book ‘V ČERNÉ
HOŘE PIVA MOŘE — z historie černohorského pivovarnictví’ (IN ČERNA HORA A SEA OF BEER — on
the history of the Černá Hora brewery).

4.7. Inspection body:

Name:

Státní zemědělská a potravinářská inspekce, inspektorát v Brně

Address: Běhounská 10
601 26 Brno
ČESKÁ REPUBLIKA

Tel.

Fax

+420 542424011

+420 542426717

E-mail:

epodatelna@szpi.gov.cz

4.8. Description:

—