We all know and love IPA beer. The icon. The superstar. The object of all our pub lunch dreams. But did you know there are different types of IPA? Mind blowing, we know. And just like the different breeds of dogs, each IPA has its own charm, characteristics, and proficiency to learn tricks. Read on to learn all about the different IPA types and find your next fave.
What type of beer is an IPA?
IPAs (AKA India Pale Ales) are a specific type of pale ale. They’re super hoppy and so called because they were invented to survive the long boat trips to the British colonies in India. Hops act as preservatives so plenty were added to keep the beer fresh. They were probably tooth-strippingly bitter back then and thankfully taste way nicer now. And you can enjoy loads of different IPAs depending on the flavour profiles you enjoy. If you’re feeling nerdy, we’ve written all about IPAs in our What is IPA Beer guide.
The different types of IPA
As we mentioned, there are multiple types of IPAs now. Each one has its own specific flavour profile. And will appeal to different people.
English IPA
Best for: Those who like classic British flavours
English IPAs are quite dry and hoppy. They’re made with British hops and yeast and have an earthy, grassy, and light citrus taste. And are probably the closest you’re going to get to those original IPAs of ye olde times. Expect an ABV of around 6-7% and a nice crisp, dry flavour.
West Coast IPA
Best for: Those who prefer less dry (but more bitter) beers.
West Coast IPAs take the idea of English IPAs but are made with American hops and yeast. Which have more of a pine and citrus kind of flavour than the earthy grassiness. They can be a bit more bitter than English IPAs but less dry.
East Coast IPA
Best for: Those who want the bitterness dialled right down.
If West Coast IPAs were inspired by English IPAs, East Coast IPAs are based on the West Coast IPAs that are inspired by English IPAs. Keeping up? Good! If you’re not down with the bitterness, an East Coast IPA is for you. These IPAs are much less bitter because they use a different type of yeast that adds tropical flavours so brewers can reduce the number of hops. Which lowers the bitterness.
Double IPA
Best for: Those who want more, more, more!
Also known as Imperial IPAs, drinkers got bored with the regular levels of hoppiness in their usual IPAs and decided they wanted more bitterness. But to balance that out, brewers also added more malt. Which means more alcohol content. So the minimum ABV of a Double IPA is around 7.5%.
Triple IPA
Best for: Those who go big or go home.
Turns out that a Double IPA still wasn’t enough. And brewers began experimenting even more, pushing the hops to the max to create an even stronger, more bitter, and drier IPA than ever before. That’s how we got the Triple IPA. Sip (responsibly) at your own risk – these IPAs can reach 12% ABV and above.
Session IPA
Best for: Those who want a lower ABV but also want to keep all the flavour.
What is session IPA? Bringing it back down to Earth a bit, session IPAs are the opposite of a Double or Triple IPA. These lighter beers, like our OG Neck Oil, are still just as flavourful as a normal IPA but they have a more balanced bitterness and lower alcohol content. They are great for casual drinkers because the ABV never ventures above 5%.
So you’re hopefully a little more familiar with our favourite beer, IPAm now. Check out our other favourite craft beers for even more tastebud tingling beers like lager, stout, and fruit beers. What is fruit beer? Read on to find out.
