Dogfish Head Releases ‘Hoppiest Beer Ever Documented’

25 Nov 2015 --- Milton, DE — Dogfish Head has created another boundary-pushing off-centered ale. This time, it just so happens to be the hoppiest beer ever documented through scientific analysis. While the average IPA lands somewhere between 40-60 IBUs, this latest release clocks in at 658 IBUs (international bittering units). Hoo Lawd, as it has been affectionately named, comes from the sensation you get after you take your first sip.

“It’s abnormally intense enough that it immediately leads to the abnormal spelling of words.” Dogfish founder and president Sam Calagione says, “as in, Hoo Lawd I can’t seem to stop myself from taking another sip even though this is Defcon-five-hoppy!”

Brewed with an experimental hop referred to as “Alpha Beast” along with Simcoe, Warrior and Amarillo hops in CO2 extract, Hoo Lawd takes dark IPA into an intergalactic black hole of hoppiness. Sam and Brewmaster Tim Hawn worked with Yakima Chief Hopunion to procure all of the hop varieties and formats for this beer. While other awesome, uber hoppy beers have claimed to achieve higher theoretical IBUs, Hoo Lawd has received scientific confirmation and documentation from two independent labs that this is, in fact, the hoppiest commercial beer ever brewed.

The beer will be available on tap at Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in downtown Rehoboth Beach, DE on December 2 beginning at 5 p.m. for a happy hour featuring the Alstrom Brothers of BeerAdvocate fame. Sam will hand paint and sign 36 (32oz.) growlers of the beer that will be available to go on a first-come, first-served basis. There will also be a screening of Dogfish’s new web-series ‘That’s Odd … Let’s Drink It’ that showcases Hoo Lawd in an epic battle of man vs. lupulin with actors Ken Marino and Joe LoTruglio. The beer will also be available at Extreme Beer Fest, held in Boston this spring of which Dogfish Head has been the title sponsor for many years.

“We hope a bunch of fearless hop-loving brothers and sisters will join us December 2 to give it a try or check it out at EBF” Calagione says. “Hoo Lawd isn’t for everyone, but we’ve had a lot of fun and learned a lot about pushing the outer limits of hop dosing volumes and techniques with this experimental brew.”