White IPA...

I keep reading about "White IPA" in the industry rags but have been given conflicting info. as to exactly what it is (hopped up witbier is what I hear the most). Has anyone has a chance to taste one and if so, what did you think. Also, if it is worth brewing, does anyone happen to have a proven recipe for it? Thanks.

Affirmative action for all the hype and attention black IPA's have been getting lately?

I just tried the Sam Adams WhiteWater IPA and from reading their website, that is basically what they're calling it. To me it's a very drinkable beer and I'd like to see a recipe for it. I'm not always in the mood for a huge IBU kind of beer and this was much more aroma and flavor than bitterness. For me it was the aroma that did it, not sure what hops are in there, but it was a nice clean, crips IPA. I've only seen it in the SA Brewmasters Collection (some other good ones in there too).

http://www.samueladams.com/enjoy-our-beer/beer-detail.aspx?id=378fafc0-7598-49bc-8fc3-415d09a9a109

Is it just a normal IPA, but brewed with orange peel and coriander, like a White?

TopherM said:

Is it just a normal IPA, but brewed with orange peel and coriander, like a White?

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Whites are white from the non-flocculating yeast. Doubt that a hefe yeast would make a good IPA.

I've always thought that the term White IPA was the same thing as a Belgian IPA...such as Houblon Chouffe.

Granted, I haven't had one, but a Wit with a generous late additions of Cascade or Citra sounds great to me.

HokieBrewer said:

Granted, I haven't had one, but a Wit with a generous late additions of Cascade or Citra sounds great to me.

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I agree - it sounds delicious.

I saw that Deschutes has Chainbreaker white IPA coming out in March 2012. They talk about the wheat in it along with coriander and orange overtones.

As fate may have it, I brewed a Witbier this past Tue. I had some older Wyeast that I needed to use up so it was time to brew a Wit. As it is I go pretty heavy on the wheat in my recipe so it should at least approximate what they are describing. I will dry hop this sucker with some good strong hops (Amarillo, Citra, Simcoe) in a few weeks and report back on how it turns out.

Brewkowski said:

I just tried the Sam Adams WhiteWater IPA and from reading their website, that is basically what they're calling it. To me it's a very drinkable beer and I'd like to see a recipe for it. I'm not always in the mood for a huge IBU kind of beer and this was much more aroma and flavor than bitterness. For me it was the aroma that did it, not sure what hops are in there, but it was a nice clean, crips IPA. I've only seen it in the SA Brewmasters Collection (some other good ones in there too).

http://www.samueladams.com/enjoy-our-beer/beer-detail.aspx?id=378fafc0-7598-49bc-8fc3-415d09a9a109

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Yeah, reading their description it reads like a hopped up Wit.

Teromous said:

I've always thought that the term White IPA was the same thing as a Belgian IPA...such as Houblon Chouffe.

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Looking at the pictures of a White IPA it is much more hazy orange colored that the HC which looks more like a typical IPA with the yellow hues IMHO.

I also followed the link and watched Jim from Sam Adams describe their Whitewater and it too is more orangy in color in the video. He spoke about the addition of apricot and he also mentioned the use of wheat and 2 row which was interesting.

Just came across this in a link:

Last May, in a collaborative bew, the two (Deschutes & Boulevard) devised a new take on the Belgian wit, adding sage, lemongrass and a wealth of hops to the traditional coriander and orange peel spices for what they call a white IPA.

I saw that Deschutes has Chainbreaker white IPA coming out in March 2012.

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I had the Chainbreaker at the Deschutes Brew Pub in Portland last month and took a Growler of it home. It was very tasty...basically a Belgian Wit with IPA style hops.

I've also had the Deschutes/Boulevard collaboration one, very good as well. They are a nice departure from more standard styles. If you find one at your local store, grab a bottle!

Chainbreaker was on tap in SW Idaho as of last night, according to my SWMBO. She liked it, but I haven't had the pleasure yet.

The homebrew store owner had a beer on tap at the store that is similar to what a white IPA would be...the yeast was wyeast flanders quarterly, german noble hops throughout with resulting ibu's at about 70, it was GREAT! I wondered what something like this would turn out like, now I know and want to brew something similiar...

Chainbreaker is a full-time bottled beer from Deschutes now. I had it at the pub house in Bend last summer when they were still tinkering with it. It's good.

I recently made a stop at NoDa Brewing Co. in Charlotte while there for work and had their Ghost Hop - White IPA. I'll tell ya what, it was awesome! Ill be visiting them again next trip thats for sure. Didn't have one beer there with any off flavors! Check out their website, nodabrewing.com.

southsidesox said:

I recently made a stop at NoDa Brewing Co. in Charlotte while there for work and had their Ghost Hop - White IPA. I'll tell ya what, it was awesome! Ill be visiting them again next trip thats for sure. Didn't have one beer there with any off flavors! Check out their website, nodabrewing.com.

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Yeah, NoDa is awesome, and starting to distribute to a number of local restaurants. I think a packaging line is in the works too... The head brewer is an all around nice guy who is basically a homebrewer beer geek gone pro.

I had heard NoDa was going to be brewing the White IPA as a production batch! The brewer had been telling me about doing the test batch of that when I was last there back in January...

I may have to get back over there soon and check it out...hopefully they'll still have some on tap!

BTW, southsidesox, did you also go to Birdsong right across the street? They have a few good beers too, but they're not quite as far along as NoDa.

Amazing they've only been open a few months and already doubling (If I remember right) their production. Well, with beer like that I can see why. I've been watching NoDa closely on Facebook and they're probably one of the fastest expanding that I've seen in a while.

I'm going to have to take a tour next time. I chatted with Todd while I was there and he was great.

I had no idea there was another craft spot across the street, I'll have to check them out as well.

I hit up Old Mecklenburg too while in Charlotte and it was pretty good.

Thanks for the info and update!

Cheers!

Had a chance to have some of Saranac's White. Pretty good. Here's from their web page...
"Saranac White IPA is a tasty innovative twist on a traditional IPA. We've taken a delicious American IPA bursting with Citra hops, and given it a whole new direction by adding the refreshing fruitiness of orange peel & coriander and the softening characters of wheat malt and oats. You'll notice the complex hop flavor you've come to expect in an IPA, balanced with the extraordinary bright flavor of a wheat beer. Cheers to twisting tradition!"