Firestone Walker Brewing Delivers Luponic Distortion No. 16
Flavors through hops is the tagline for Firestone Walker Brewing’s Luponic Distortion IPA Series of beers. This saying holds true on the release of the brewery’s latest IPA in this series with its Luponic Distortion No. 16.
The brewer’s use of six hops from three continents in Luponic Distortion No. 16 deliver explosive fruit flavors of peach, pear drop and dragonfruit. The latest edition of Luponic Distortion is now available in all Firestone Walker markets in 12oz bottles and cans.
Here are additional details on Luponic Distortion No. 16 from the brewery’s press release…
“We combined some our favorite new hops from New Zealand, Germany and the Pacific Northwest to create this really unique flavor profile,” said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. “It’s all about showing how these distinctive fruit flavors can be achieved solely through 100-percent pure natural hops.”
Luponic Distortion is not a single beer, but rather an ongoing series of beers that rotate approximately every 120 days. While the base beer always remains the same, each release features a different hop blend built around new and experimental hops, designed to showcase the growing possibilities of pure hop aromas and flavors without any assist from fruit or other adjuncts.
Flavors Through Hops
The latest Luponic Distortion includes three “new school” Pacific Northwest cultivars—two with a softer, juicier character, and one with a more edgy citrus quality. “The alchemy of these three hops resulted in this cool tropical dragonfruit character,” Brynildson said.
The beer also features two German hops that are among Brynildson’s favorite discoveries from his forays to a variety of family hop farms in Hallertau. “With these hops, it’s all about getting this fresh, bright fruit without a lot of dank character, reminiscent of ripe peach,” he said.
Finally, there’s a New Zealand-grown hop that fittingly happens to be a cross between an American cultivar and a German cultivar. “It has this fresh peach and pear drop character that’s really distinctive,” Brynildson said. “It’s the perfect way to tie this blend together.”
The result is the latest beer to exemplify Luponic Distortion’s mantra of “flavors through hops.”
“Luponic Distortion is this beer that can keep morphing and stay interesting and remain out in front of this crazy new hop wave,” Brynildson said.
About The Author
DJ
D.J. is a Portland, Oregon based writer that spent his formative years in the Midwest. With over 25 years under his belt of drinking beer at festivals across America and the world, he has developed a strong appreciation and understanding of craft beer and the industry that surrounds it. He can be found in any of the great breweries or beer bars that make Portland the best beer city in the world. His writing can also be found in the archives of Northwest Brewing News and can be followed on Twitter and Instagram at @hopapalooza.