Dogfish Head’s ‘Possibly the Next Top Rated Beer on BeerAdvocate’ Is Even Crazier Than the Name Implies

Mike Pomranz
Updated
Is the world ready for a “Double New England Maple Pastry Black Coffee Milkshake IPA”?

It’s not every day that a beer is newsworthy based on name alone – and when it has happened, it’s usually because there’s something wrong with that name like its offensive or started a trademark dispute. But a couple weeks ago, when word got out that Delaware’s Dogfish Head Brewery would be releasing a beer with the humorously arrogant moniker, “Possibly the Next Top Rated Beer on BeerAdvocate,” I decided to bite because – come on – who names a beer that?!

Now, Dogfish Head has officially announced the details behind Possibly the Next Top Rated Beer on BeerAdvocate, and the actual brew is even more insane than the name implies!

PNTRBBA (as I’ll begin calling it to save time) is the embodiment of a figurative kitchen sink, tossing in pretty much every trend imaginable for top-rated beers today. Specifically, Dogfish Head is referring to it as a “Double New England Maple Pastry Black Coffee Milkshake IPA.” Yowzah. “Don’t call it an Imperial Stout,” quips the announcement’s opening sentence.

And yet, even that nine-word descriptor of the style doesn’t manage to encapsulate everything happening. To start, the beer was brewed “with maple syrup, toasted coconut, lactose, vanilla beans, cocoa powder, and cold-pressed coffee” and then “heavily hopped with HBC-472, an experimental variety known to produce a woody, coconut-like, or bourbony character in darker beers.” Lastly, adding a not-quite-literal cherry on top, the massive 10-percent ABV final brew will also be served with “hops-infused glitter whipped cream created by Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats head chef, Lou Ortiz.”

Fittingly, PNTRBBA was created for 2019’s Extreme Beer Festival, which is now in its 16th year and is run by none other than BeerAdvocate – who not only signed off on the name of this beer, but helped create it. “Dogfish Head has been the presenting sponsor of Extreme Beer Fest since 2009,” BeerAdvocate founder Todd Alström explained. “Since then, my brother and I, along with members of our staff, have traveled to Delaware to make a boundary-pushing fest beer with Sam and his brewing team. It’s always a ton of fun and we’ve come up with some truly mind-bending beers. This year we took our inspiration from ingredients in some of the top-rated beers on our site.”

Dogfish Head’s founder and CEO Sam Calagione struck a similar tone. “Extreme Beer Fest is an event I look forward to year after year,” he said. “There’s just something thrilling and awe-inspiring about a room full of brewers sharing their craziest ideas with thousands of adventurous, thirsty fans. Dogfish Head has been experimenting with extreme beers dating back to the beginning of our journey when we first brewed beers like Chicory Stout, Immort Ale, and Raison D’Etre in 10-gallon batches, so sponsoring Extreme Beer Fest was an easy decision.”

PNTRBBA will be simultaneously released on Friday, February 1, at the Extreme Beer Fest in Boston, Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and Dogfish Head Tasting Room & Kitchen in Milton, Delaware. Have your BeerAdvocate account fired up and ready to go, I guess!