What style would this beer fall under?

[BrewVerymore]

I brewed a beer using Marris Otter, citra/chinook for bittering, citra for dry hopping, and according to beersmith this will make it about 76IBU, 5.5srm, and the measured OG was 1.066. I pitched with safale s-04. Is this an English IPA despite stylistically being over the IBU of an English IPA?

 

[NSMikeD]

While you used Marris Otter and S-04, British styles aren't that hopped. Your IBUs, hop choices add schedule and ABV are in line with American Imperial or Double IPA, albeit with an English accent.

The MO and 04 would still make a beer that I would gather wouldn't rule it out as a American DIPA.

I like the 04 for stouts and porters where I am not seeking the same dryness 05 produces (which I prefer for pale ales IPAs etc). It will produce more fruity esters than 05. I like MO a lot and use it often in lieu of american 2 row.


I never thought of crossing styles like this. Now I am interested. Let is know how it turned out.

 

[seabrew8]

Its a high hopped beer with american hops, british malt and yeast

It would taste more like an american ipa though i think. Hops are a major factor in taste obviously.

I'm sure it tastes pretty good!

 

[dmtaylor]

American IPA.

 

[NSMikeD]

American IPA.

I'm not sure what OG numbers I was looking at last night when I said DIPA. The IBUs however are outside the Brewers Association upper limit for both pale ales and IPAs, but then again, there a many commercial Pale Ales and IPAs that blow through that upper limit, so what is the purpose of styles limits in the first place (and don't get me started with labels like session IPAs and Dark IPAs).


This is why I love home brewing. The process has greatly helped me identify what I am tasting in a beer. I love going to the pub and ordering tastes of different beers and trying to see if I can figure out what the brewer was attempting. Style labels, IMO, often tell very little about the beer.


IMO, if you believe the legend of how IPAs originated, then, I think an IPA must have notes of oak - reflecting the extend time inside those oak barrels. If you read the Brewers Association style guidelines the word oak does not appear in neither English or American IPA styes. Go Figure.

In the end, styles only make a difference if you are trying to make a style. Styles only exist because someone did something that didn't fit a style, it was good and a lot of people copied it and eventually bureaucrats decided to declare a new style - sometimes inaccurately.

 

[violinguy]

American IPA that has a strong citrus/grapefruit taste. Nothing wrong with that!

 

[UKBrewing]

American IPA for sure...