Double IPA

[25518]

What is a double IPA? A friend at work asked me. Could not answer him.
My best guess was. Double hopped? Double fermented. I have no clue.

 

[kombat]

From the BJCP Guidelines:

An intensely hoppy, very strong pale ale without the big maltiness and/or deeper malt flavors of an American barleywine. Strongly hopped, but clean, lacking harshness, and a tribute to historical IPAs. Drinkability is an important characteristic; this should not be a heavy, sipping beer. It should also not have much residual sweetness or a heavy character grain profile.

History: A recent American innovation reflecting the trend of American craft brewers “pushing the envelope” to satisfy the need of hop aficionados for increasingly intense products. The adjective “Imperial” is arbitrary and simply implies a stronger version of an IPA; “double,” “extra,” “extreme,” or any other variety of adjectives would be equally valid.

Comments: Bigger than either an English or American IPA in both alcohol strength and overall hop level (bittering and finish). Less malty, lower body, less rich and a greater overall hop intensity than an American Barleywine. Typically not as high in gravity/alcohol as a barleywine, since high alcohol and malt tend to limit drinkability. A showcase for hops.

 

[25518]

Thank you.

 

[TopherM]

Most people just describe any high ABV IPA as a double IPA, and of course you must have extra hops to balance the higher ABV.

 

[funnycreature]

Is there a difference between a Double and Imperial IPA?

 

[daksin]

Nope- same thing!

 

[stjackson]

I've heard someone make a distinction between double and imperial IPA. I think it was on the Maharaja episode of Can You Brew It. The interviewee was saying that a double usually finished dryer and was more drinkable than an imperial, which he compared more to a more highly-hopped barleywine. A little more residual sweetness and more body than a double.

Is there really a difference? I don't know, but that was one person's interpretation.

 

[Brewmech]

I've heard someone make a distinction between double and imperial IPA. I think it was on the Maharaja episode of Can You Brew It. The interviewee was saying that a double usually finished dryer and was more drinkable than an imperial, which he compared more to a more highly-hopped barleywine. A little more residual sweetness and more body than a double.

Is there really a difference? I don't know, but that was one person's interpretation.

It's called a Double IPA because - I I PA; Imperial India Pale Ale

Double and Imperial are the same thing in this case.

You can have sweeter versions and you can have dryer versions, it's all in the same category, just a different interpretation.

 

[daksin]

I've heard someone make a distinction between double and imperial IPA. I think it was on the Maharaja episode of Can You Brew It. The interviewee was saying that a double usually finished dryer and was more drinkable than an imperial, which he compared more to a more highly-hopped barleywine. A little more residual sweetness and more body than a double.

Is there really a difference? I don't know, but that was one person's interpretation.

If that's how they feel, it's just something they made up. It might be useful for classifying your own beers if you care, but in the world at large, IIPA, DIPA, etc etc etc are all the same thing.

 

[meltroha]

Every beer category was made up at some point, this is just a modern interpretation they decided is different enough to make it a category. I think eventually imperial Porter and cascadian dark ale, or black ipa will become categories.

 

[Malty_Dog]

This thread makes me thirsty for my IIPA!

 

[OCcraftbeer]

Were home brewing a DIPA in the coming weeks with 4-5 different types of hops. We'll have the recipe posted at www.OCcraftbeer.com if anyone is interested.

Cheers!

 

[kombat]

I think eventually imperial Porter [...] will become categories.

Isn't that just called a "stout?"

What's the difference between a strong porter and a stout? They're both dark, bitter, European hop flavour/aroma, etc. What am I missing?

And don't we already have a "robust" porter? How would an "imperial" porter differentiate itself?

 

[Saxomophone]

I always thought the term "Imperial" was a misnomer with IPAs. The idea being that Imperial Stouts were called Imperial because they were shipped to the Imperial court in Russia.

Because Imperial Stouts are stronger, people carried the Imperial name over to other types of beer, like IPAs. The term itself originally had nothing to do with strength and the strong IPAs, being brewed in the USA, have nothing to do with anything "Imperial".

Anyone know if this is right, or am I off track here?

 

[TopherM]

The idea being that Imperial Stouts were called Imperial because they were shipped to the Imperial court in Russia.

True, but the stout that they did ship to the Imperial court in Russia had elevated alcohol content as a perservative measure, which is why high ABV beers picked up the description much later down the line.

It's actually a nice example of the convoluted way the English language evolves, and why there are so many descriptors and sayings in English that make absolutely no logical sense to ESL speakers.