On today’s episode of A Tasting at The Murder Table, we’re headed down to Milton, Delaware’s Dogfish Head Brewery for a taste of their latest IPA release. Where The Wild Hops Are is what they call it. As fans of the children’s book “Where The Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak, we were more than just a little bit intrigued.

Here’s what Dogfish Head had to say about this beer in a recent press release:

Where the Wild Hops Are (6.5% ABV) is a complex IPA brewed with Zappa, Amarillo, Comet and Sabro hops and blended with a touch of wild ale aged for four years in French Oak barrels. The result is a delicious blend of citrus meets dank, rounded out by just a bit of wild funk. The beer’s hazy pale gold color, slightly tart yet juicy fruit flavors and dry, oak-tinged finish are sure to satiate drinkers, transporting their palettes to the universe of off-centered goodness. BUT heed this warning … when all those unique, multi-dimensional tastes and aromas are combined with the bottle’s fierce artwork, folks best be ready for a walk on the wild side!

Max’s label artwork for Where the Wild Hops Are sets an ominously mysterious tone, featuring an old school box trap baited by nothing other than a large hop cone. The illustration’s lively color palette alongside the detail-oriented nature of Max’s work, brings the scene to life. With every sip, drinkers’ excitement and anticipation builds, and they are left anxiously waiting to catch a glimpse of the creature hiding in the darkness.

As is usually the case, the fine folks at Dogfish Head pull out all the stops when the time comes to create a variation on the ever-popular IPA style. Was all this effort worth it and is the end result as funky and delicious as it sounds? Click the play button on the following video to find out:

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Many thanks to Dogfish Head Brewery for sending us these very generous samples!