[2/13 Update: Hoppin’ Frog Hop Dam will start appearing on shelves beginning Monday, 2/15. “It has 50% more hops than HF Mean Manalishi DIPA, with mash hopped, first kettle hopped, and dry hop additions during the brew process! Fred used Amarillo, Columbus, Cascade and Summit hops in the new brew.”]

(Akron, OH) – Hoppin’ Frog is set to release a new “Triple IPA.”

Hoppin’ Frog Hop Dam is currently in the fermenter and “should be ready” on February 15th. The label description: “We built a massive hop dam for our kettle to brew this colossal American IPA, to use far more hops than ever before! The result is an extreme, huge amount of citrusy, piney, and resinous hop character, complimented by layers of rich malt flavor.”

Specs: 10% ABV, 93 OG (22.2 P), “High IBU”

The brewery earned acclaim in 2009 from the U.S. Beer Tasting Championships for its Mean Manalishi Double IPA. (Speaking of USBTC, do they judge beers blind? Don’t know much about this organization, I must say).

Though the beer has earned a decent overall score, the Alstroms deemed it unworthy:

“I’m a hophead, but I think this is overkill. 168IBU. Why bother? That’s past the human threshold. A waste of hops. There’s absolutely no balance (yes, there can be balance within the style) and it’s hard to get down the throat. It’s like drinking a handful of hops dropped into a pint glass of brew, and anyone who has ever attempted this can attest that this is not overly pleasant.”

No word on the difference between this and Meaner Manalishi.

In other Hoppin’ Frog news, the brewery will likely start distributing in Georgia and at least one other state at some point.