The India Pale Ale: A Primer

[Taverner]

India Pale Ales were created to withstand the journey from England to India, being that normal beer would get sour and undrinkable after the long journey. The brewers upped the alcohol and hops to make a delicious brew that could withstand a trip like that.

Rumor has it, a ship sunk after leaving Liverpool once, stocked with IPA casks, and when they washed ashore, happy beer drinkers drank it and rejoiced. Soon it became a standard in English pubs.

Of course, since then, the West Coast picked up the IPA and started doing it's own thing with them. Now they pack even more hops and even more alcohol into the IPA, making it a distinctive style.

That style, or styles, have been broken into their various counterparts:

The West Coast IPA - This is characterized by being really dry (much of the malt sugars get converted to alcohol) and bitter. Floral and bitter hops make a presence, as well as the alcohol. These tend to run at an average of 9% and usually go up from there. Some examples are Stone Ruination IPA, Green Flash West Coast IPA, Russian River Blind Pig and Pliny the Elder, AleSmith IPA and Ballast Point IPA.

The Pacific Northwest IPA - From the land of hops comes an IPA that is a bit more malty in character. They tend not to run as high in alcohol, and sweeter. At the same time, the hops don't dissipate, and tend to rely on NW hops like cascade and chinook. Some examples are Great Divide Hercules, Lazy Boy IPA, Deschutes Mirror Pond IPA, and Dick's Bottleworks IPA.

The Midwest IPA - Midwest IPA's tend to go more floral on the hops. They can vary in malty sugars, but they tend to work on the more subtle aspects of highly-hopped ales. Some examples are Bell's Harvest and Two Hearted Ale and Three Floyds Dreadnaught IPA.

The East Coast IPA - These guys tend to rely on a balance of malts and hops, but really take their queue from England. They tend to use European Malts and more traditional hops. They still go all out in the hops, but with easier to find European hops like Fuggles. Some examples are Dogfish Head 60 and 90 minute IPA's and Victory Hop Devil.

ON EDIT:

I think I should also address the advent of the "Black IPA." This is a totally new, groundbreaking kind of IPA that uses dark malts, but follows the IPA process. As a result, you have a dark IPA where the dark malts compliment the bitterness of the hops. Some examples of this would be Dogfish Head Indian Brown Ale and Stone Anniversary IX Ale. Personally, I love the idea of a Black IPA, and think there should be more of them.

[siligut]

1. I’m on the west coast and what you say is true.

However, I don’t think I could have said it so well. Please give me your impression of Fat Tire.

[Taverner]

2. Better than Budweiser, worse than anything by Stone :)

Seriously, I'm not a big fan of New Belgium beer. But they don't make bad beer, it's just too sweet for me usually.

I like the drier, hoppier ales - my favorite right now being Moylan's Hopsickle Imperial Ale. Think what it would be like if a beer tasted like freshly cut marijuana, and you've got the picture.

But in a pinch, it beats most of what's on tap at any given restaurant. I think it can even compete with Anchor Steam and Sam Adams.

[siligut]

3. You are good.

Not liking the pinch part, but I am rather in love with Fat Tire. I eat out too much and prefer wine, I guess that explains my preference for sweet beer.

[Bennyboy]

15. If you like Fat Tire......

Try Brother Thelonious from North Coast Brewing. It is a belgian style, like fat Tire, but it is like the flavors that are compressed and not very distinct in Fat Tire are very complex, distinct and dancing around on your palate with Brother Thelonious.

[Taverner]

19. Brother Thelonius is GOOD

Very yummy - and I think it's 9% to boot!

[siligut]

20. Please be specific.

Should I just ask for a Brother Thelonious? Is that all the information the server will need to bring me a superb and wonderful brew that will dance around my palate?

[Taverner]

21. Go Here...

http://www.northcoastbrewing.com/beer-brotherThelonious.htm

[Bennyboy]

22. I have this tattooed on my forhead!

Just so there is no confusion...

[siligut]

24. You know, I can do the wine thing.

Oakie, dry, fruity, a hint of honey, top notes, body, blthhh. What I want and pay for is a nice high, meal enhancement and no hangover. When it comes to beer, I just order whatever my DH just ordered, all is good.

[nomorenomore08]

5. Fat Tire is a tasty beer (usually), but New Belgium makes several that are better. Try the Frambozen

or 2 Below or 1554.

I guess I might as well list some of my favorite breweries:

Lagunitas
Full Sail
North Coast
Lost Coast
Mendocino (for the White Hawk and the Blue Heron alone)
Stone
Bear Republic
Schmaltz
(new favorite) Flying Dog

[siligut]

6. I will be smarter when looking at the list, thank you.

We do need people who know beer, it is a basic too often ignored.

[Taverner]

8. Loves me some Bear Republic!

Ever had their Hop Rod Ale?

IPA with Rye Malt :)

[nomorenomore08]

12. The Hop Rod is delicious, as are the Racer 5 and the Red Rocket.

nt

[Shakespeare]

31. The Hop Rod is probably my most favorite beer.

Love the Red Rocket (and most of Lagunitas' stuff, too). Tast-TEE.

[harmonicon]

4. you missed the best one in the midwest category

Great Lakes (I think they're from Cleveland) make a great IPA, but I forgot their name for it. I'm not really an IPA fan, but I like theirs. Now that I live in England, I've found that I really prefer English traditional IPAs more than the hopped to fuck American ones. I'd never thought of any beer as being a "black IPA"..... I think the term is quite suspect. Whatever it is, Dogfish Head Indian Brown is a great beer.

[Taverner]

7. Stone called their XI anniversary ale a "Black IPA"

And after trying it (if you can get some, I think you'll find it's is waaaaaaay worth it :) )I think the name fits. It pours as dark as any Stout or Porter, but has the full hoppiness of an IPA.

It took me a while to get used to the WC IPA - but after you get into them you'll notice the subtleties of the aggressive taste of hops :) Kind of like how if you start eating really hot food, you start appreciating each pepper for it's flavor.

Have you had St.Peter's IPA on tap? I love that stuff!

[harmonicon]

9. I don't know if I've had St. Peter's

The IPAs that have been memorable to me are Great Lakes and Dogfish Head. I like things like Bell's Two Hearted, but I also like that they don't call it an IPA, because I don't think these American beers really are IPAs. I like the idea of the "Black IPA" style, just not the name. Founder's brewery (Grand Rapids, MI) used to have a really nice beer they just called "black ale" that was fantastic - somewhere between a porter and an IPA.

[izzybeans]

10. I love St. Peter's but never had it on tap. I miss the old bottle. Felt like I had a bottle of

whiskey in my hands.

Excellent post.

Three Floyds is my favorite Midwestern brewery, that or Darkhorse (their Crooked Tree and Double Crooked Tree IPA's are high on my list)

[nomorenomore08]

11. I've only had the St. Peter's cream stout, but it was excellent.

The British/Irish/Australians are generally the only ones who really know how to make stouts and porters, but there are some American exceptions to the rule (Old Rasputin, Gonzo Imperial Porter, etc.).

[Taverner]

13. Ahh but our own country (USA) can make some FINE beers

Thing is, they're all micro or craft beers.

The MegaBreweries suck.

Such irony, no? USA - home of the best and worst beers.

[izzybeans]

14. Yep,

I used to work part time for a craft beer distributer they really taught me to love American beer.

To think i passed up a chance to get drunk at the Dogfish Head Brewery off of 120 minute out of the vat. Damn.

[mainegreen]

16. I had an IPA tonight!

[Taverner]

18. How was it? Should I search it down?

Anything from Maine can't be half bad ya know!

[Catshrink]

17. I like porters...

Deschutes Black Butte Porter is awesome. I loved Sam Adams' Holiday Porter, too.

[GreenPartyVoter]

23. I don't drink, but this was interesting :^D

[LynneSin]

25. You need to come to Delaware

so we can buy our Dogfish fresh from the brewery

[Taverner]

30. I want to

But those damn toll booths scare me away every time :evilgrin:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

26. Do you brew your own, Taverner?

Sounds like you might have a flair for it... :toast:

[Taverner]

29. Been thinking about it

But I'm not that much of a perfectionist, which most good brewers are.

Still, I've always thought it would be nice to just brew IPAs

[T_i_B]

27. As long as it's not Greene King IPA

Which is the beer you find in most UK pubs these days, and does the genre a huge disservice as it's quite bland and even tastes a tad metallic.

Plus there is Greene Kings fondness for taking over other breweries and either ruining previously good beers or shutting down the breweries altogether.

Barnsley IPA on the other hand is a real beauty of a pint.

[intaglio]

28. Worthington White Shield

Make sure to let it settle, make sure not to pour out the lees,

[seemunkee]

32. I'm making a cross breed today

Calling it a ESIPA, Extra Special India Pale Ale
English bitter grains w/American IPA type hops
Should be about 4% alcohol, good for summer quantity drinking.

[Taverner]

33. Mmmmmm yum...save me a bottle wontchya?

[seemunkee]

35. It will be on tap in ~month, stop in next time you pass through

putting a through tap in the fridge door today.

[evlbstrd]

34. Boulevard (Kansas City) makes Double Wide IPA

I like it a lot.
My friend and I brew and IPAs are favorites.