Luna Landing: HPA's new hop has Launched!

|Tito Orellana
Luna Landing: HPA's new hop has Launched!

When it comes to Aussie hops, there is no bigger player than HPA (Hop Products Australia). Not only for being the largest hop producer in the country, with farms in North-East Victoria and Southern Tasmania that grow about 90% of Australia’s hops, but they also represent the global BarthHaas group, supplying not only Aussie, but American and New Zealand hops to the market as well. When it comes to lupulin, these folks are at the very top.

This is why is such huge news that their legendary hop breeding program has a new shining beacon in their lineup: Luna®.

This is the latest official release by this program, that has been operating since the 1950s. Some of the iconic hops these brewers have released over the last two decades are Ella, Vic Secret, Eclipse and of course, the crown jewel of Australian hops: Galaxy (Does “Stone & Wood Pacific Ale” ring any bells?).

23 years in the making and originally known with the name HPA-033 through its experimental phase, Luna® promises a new flavour profile that can provide mango, berry and citrus notes to a variety of styles, including Pilsners, Pale Ales, XPAs and IPAs. Since 2021, HPA has been solely focused on producing flavour-forward hops, and now brewers from both the local and international market are excited at the prospect of trying the first one out, both on its own and blended with other hops.

We couldn’t escape the excitement, so we've included a beer called 'Luna', a Single Hop IPA brewed with Luna hops (of course it had to be an IPA), from Bridge Road Brewers in Beechworth, located not far from HPA’s fields in the Victorian High Country. It’s an exciting year ahead for Aussie IPAs, and we’re only seeing the start of it! Now let’s crack that tinnie!

Image: HPA (hops.com.au)