where begins Imperial in alcohol %

[user 22118]

trying to figure out at what alcohol to start calling something an Imperial beer. 7%, 8%?

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Meeeeeeh, I dunno. It's abitrary, just meaning "higher alcohol and (most likely) IBUs that the normal style."

Trying to define imperial is like trying to get two Englishmen to agree on whether a specific beer is "a pale" or "a bitter"

 

[xiang]

7.5% - 10%

 

[rasherb]

So, like, what's an imperial Mild?

 

[user 22118]

I posted a recipe for an imperial mild in the recipe section...heh. Regular beer, that's what.

I figure it like this:
Mild = 3%-4.5%
Regular = 4.5%-7%
Imperial = 7%-10%
Barleywine = 10%+

so there isn't an exact science here on when begins an Imperial?

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

So, like, what's an imperial Mild?

 

[McKBrew]

It's pretty much an arbitrary thing for most beers. Basically if you are brewing a certain style, say an IPA and you fell outside the style guidelines on the high end, you could coin it an imperial IPA.

 

[cactusgarrett]

I agree - it's arbitrary. There are only a select few styles that are technically "Imperial". Otherwise, people kind of willy-nilly toss that term around to mean "bigger than usual" or "bigger than style".

 

[flyangler18]

There is but one style that truly can be called 'Imperial' and that is Russian Imperial Stout, 13F.

The trend of naming beers brewed out of style 'imperial' in reference to alcoholic strength frustrates me to no end.

I figure it like this:
Mild = 3%-4.5%
Regular = 4.5%-7%
Imperial = 7%-10%
Barleywine = 10%+

This makes no sense - because both Barleywine and Mild are distinctive styles, rather than arbitrary classifiers of alcohol strength. You can't call a BGSA or Tripel an 'Imperial' anything.

 

[Mike M]

The trend of naming beers brewed out of style 'imperial' in reference to alcoholic strength frustrates me to no end...

I'm with you. Call a spade a spade and an IPA an IPA

 

[user 22118]

This makes no sense - because both Barleywine and Mild are distinctive styles, rather than arbitrary classifiers of alcohol strength. You can't call a BGSA or Tripel an 'Imperial' anything.

I am not saying that they are a style or a classification. I am just stating that if I brew something that has 12% I am going to be in the barleywine category. With IPA I think that it caps at 1.090, so if I brew an IPA at 1.100 then is it technically a barleywine? Or as biermuncher does with a lot of his beers at lower alcohol, say 1.037. If it is outside of style for pale ale, then what is it?

I ask about Imperial only because you see Imperial stout and Imperial IPA and I just wanted to know when it hits Imperial.

 

[flyangler18]

I am not saying that they are a style or a classification. I am just stating that if I brew something that has 12% I am going to be in the barleywine category. With IPA I think that it caps at 1.090, so if I brew an IPA at 1.100 then is it technically a barleywine?

Maybe. There's a fine line between a big IIPA and a smallish American barleywine (DFH 120, for example).

The 12% means nothing - because I can brew a Belgian Quadrupel at 12% and there's nothing about that says barleywine, ya dig? A style is defined by its grist, hop variety and character, yeast and a host of other characteristics.

I ask about Imperial only because you see Imperial stout and Imperial IPA and I just wanted to know when it hits Imperial.

RIS and IIPA (though I prefer Double IPA - pet peeve) are actual styles, but Rogue calling their Morimoto Pils 'Imperial' just because it's outside of the parameters of a defined style pisses me off.

 

[cactusgarrett]

but Rogue calling their Morimoto Pils 'Imperial' just because it's outside of the parameters of a defined style pisses me off.

Understandble and i see where you're coming from - i agree to an extent. But, i can spell my last name S - M - I - T - H, and pronounce it "Johnson" if i want.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

That was very subtle.....Even so, I pissed myself a little.




Oh yes. That Imperial stuff? it's all bullcrap

 

[jimba009]

If anything is Imperial it is me!

 

[user 22118]

RIS and IIPA (though I prefer Double IPA - pet peeve) are actual styles, but Rogue calling their Morimoto Pils 'Imperial' just because it's outside of the parameters of a defined style pisses me off.

Here I have to disagree slightly. When I see DIPA, to me it says more hops, which in turn means more alcohol to balance it out. When I see IIPA, to me it just says more alcohol, though there could be more hops as well but not always. So if I brew a 1.080 IPA and only hop it to 50, what do we call that? If I brew a 1.070 IPA and hop it to 90, what do we call that?

Off the IPA subject though, when I make an American Stout and get it up to 1.100, is that Imperial?

 

[carnevoodoo]

Here I have to disagree slightly. When I see DIPA, to me it says more hops, which in turn means more alcohol to balance it out. When I see IIPA, to me it just says more alcohol, though there could be more hops as well but not always. So if I brew a 1.080 IPA and only hop it to 50, what do we call that? If I brew a 1.070 IPA and hop it to 90, what do we call that?

Off the IPA subject though, when I make an American Stout and get it up to 1.100, is that Imperial?

You guys are both frustrating. The ONLY reason it is called a "Double IPA" is because of the two "i"s in front of IIPA. Instead of saying "I-IPA" or "Two-IPA", people say, "Double IPA". The DIPA is just another way of saying IIPA. They're exactly the same thing. Fact is, it shouldn't be called any of those things, but the name 'Imperial' was easy for people to understand and it stuck. They're all the same thing though.

If you brew a 1.080 beer and hop it to 50, I wouldn't call it an IPA at all. Not all beers fall into a style and need a classification. At that point, you're just making a big malt bomb.

And a 1.070 beer hopped to 90 IBUs sounds like an IPA to me. That's how it is with every IPA out here.

 

[carnevoodoo]

Off the IPA subject though, when I make an American Stout and get it up to 1.100, is that Imperial?

1.100 is definitely in Imperial range, but looking at the style guides would tell you that.

 

[Yeastie]

8 - 12+% ABV. It isn't arbitrary it is defined in the BJCP Style Guidelines.

 

[CBBaron]

You guys are both frustrating. The ONLY reason it is called a "Double IPA" is because of the two "i"s in front of IIPA. Instead of saying "I-IPA" or "Two-IPA", people say, "Double IPA". The DIPA is just another way of saying IIPA. They're exactly the same thing. Fact is, it shouldn't be called any of those things, but the name 'Imperial' was easy for people to understand and it stuck. They're all the same thing though.

If you brew a 1.080 beer and hop it to 50, I wouldn't call it an IPA at all. Not all beers fall into a style and need a classification. At that point, you're just making a big malt bomb.

And a 1.070 beer hopped to 90 IBUs sounds like an IPA to me. That's how it is with every IPA out here.

Thank you. I was trying to figure out if the previous posters were being sarcastic or if they were serious about the difference between a Douple "I" PA and IIPA.

A Russian Imperial Stout is definately not a Barleywine and ranges in gravity from about 1.080 to huge. That style is Imperial because it was originally brewed for the Russian Imperial family. All other "Imperial" beers are a made up designation. Imperial IPAs are the only other style I know of that is a recognized style and that has some defined guidelines. All other "Imperial" beers can mean anything. However it is generally understood that and "Imperial" <style> is a beer brewed to a higher gravity than is commmonally accepted for the style with more hops to balance.

Craig

 

[tspilker]

Doesn't Dogfish Head brew an "Imperial Brown Ale" ??

I find that to be a strange one.

Someone said RIS... I want a Stone RIS now.... mmmmmmm

I dont find the term Imperial to be annoying actually. I kind of like the way the experimentation has blossomed in this country to give us such sensational brews. Granted, brewing an Imperial Cream Ale seems kind of pointless, but isn't that the great thing about our craft? We can do anything we want and drink it. Outside of competition, we brew for ourselves and our loved ones, why not make up a style name, it makes the beer taste better knowing you are the only one brewing an Imperial Pumpkin Barleywine!

 

[flyangler18]

The ONLY reason it is called a "Double IPA" is because of the two "i"s in front of IIPA. Instead of saying "I-IPA" or "Two-IPA", people say, "Double IPA". The DIPA is just another way of saying IIPA. They're exactly the same thing. Fact is, it shouldn't be called any of those things, but the name 'Imperial' was easy for people to understand and it stuck. They're all the same thing though.

I understand that completely. I just refuse to use the term 'Imperial' to describe any other beer except RIS for the reason outlined by Craig (emphasis mine). I wasn't being sarcastic at all. Because RIS was brewed in England for Catherine the Great and exported to Russia, it is the only beer that be appropriately and accurately called 'Imperial'. That is all.

A Russian Imperial Stout is definately not a Barleywine and ranges in gravity from about 1.080 to huge. That style is Imperial because it was originally brewed for the Russian Imperial family. All other "Imperial" beers are a made up designation. Imperial IPAs are the only other style I know of that is a recognized style and that has some defined guidelines.

 

[AnOldUR]

I just refuse to use the term 'Imperial' to describe any other beer except RIS . . .

So I guess you don't approve of this?





It is tasty though.
And reaches imperial status if brewed for the Dark Lord.
:cross:

 

[user 22118]

My mind just popped...

When it is outside of the style guidelines, where do you enter it? Where does a 12% IPA belong, since it is outside the Imperial IPA guidlines of 1.090? Do I begin calling it an American Barleywine? This is where there is a grey area for me and I am trying to have that answered.

Or are all of the beers that are outside of the OG guidelines just specialty beers?

 

[Brewmasters Warehouse]

There is but one style that truly can be called 'Imperial' and that is Russian Imperial Stout, 13F.

There is also an Imperial IPA style 14C.

I pretty much agree with many others that there is no reason to label something as Imperial just because it is out of style. If you go out of style on the high side, it would most likely get pushed into the Specialty style. To me there just does not seem to be a big need to be in style, brew what you want and enjoy it. If your brewing for competition, then it is a different story. If enough people keep brewing something similar then it will be a new style.

 

[z987k]

My mind just popped...

When it is outside of the style guidelines, where do you enter it? Where does a 12% IPA belong, since it is outside the Imperial IPA guidlines of 1.090? Do I begin calling it an American Barleywine? This is where there is a grey area for me and I am trying to have that answered.

Or are all of the beers that are outside of the OG guidelines just specialty beers?

Yes you should enter it in Specialty, but 99% of people are not going to. They're going to be an ass and make a 1.070 200IBU IIPA esk beer and put it in 14C, or maybe 10A so the judges can't taste anyone else's beer.

 

[carnevoodoo]

My mind just popped...

When it is outside of the style guidelines, where do you enter it? Where does a 12% IPA belong, since it is outside the Imperial IPA guidlines of 1.090? Do I begin calling it an American Barleywine? This is where there is a grey area for me and I am trying to have that answered.

Or are all of the beers that are outside of the OG guidelines just specialty beers?

Just call it beer! Who cares what the rules say?