IPAs have been gaining popularity over the past decade as craft breweries innovate and explore new flavors. They’re often fruity and have a bittersweet finish.
Breweries use a variety of hops in their IPAs. However, some breweries choose to use only one to highlight its flavor, which is called single hop.
Hazy IPA
The Hazy IPA, also known as the New England IPA or simply the Hazy style, has taken craft beer by storm. These cloudy, juicy brews have low bitterness and fruity hops that others describe as orange juice-like.
Haze is a result of particle size and how brewing ingredients interact during fermentation. The most obvious factor is that hazy IPAs tend to have more solid matter in them, including the microscopic components of grain protein that create a milkshake-like appearance. Brewers who make Hazy IPAs may also add unmalted wheat or flaked oats to increase the protein content, which can also contribute to a silky mouthfeel.
Other factors include how the beer is brewed (slower mash speed, longer fermentation times) and whether yeast strains have a tendency to flocculate or stay more suspended in liquid. All of these characteristics can affect how bitter a beer tastes. Torpedo, for example, is a very bitter beer at 85 IBUs, while Narwhal Imperial Stout has a low bitterness profile at 60 IBUs.
Double or Imperial IPA
A double IPA is just what it sounds like—a regular IPA with amplified hop aromas, flavors, and alcohol content. Brewers vary in their approach, but generally a double IPA is at least 7% ABV, according to the Brewers Association.
The hops are what set an IPA apart from other beer styles. While dark beers rely on malt to balance their bitterness, IPAs showcase the versatility of hops. They can be fruity, citrusy, pine-like, and anything in between. Whether they’re wet or dried, they can be used throughout the brewing process to add flavor and bitterness, from the mash to the boil and after fermentation is complete. Double IPAs also feature higher alcohol content than other IPA varieties, which means they are heavier in body and taste. This can be a positive or negative, depending on your preferences.
Dry-Hopped IPA
Dry hopped beers are (as you can guess) those that have been doused with extra hops after the boil. This is done to add flavor, aroma and that signature bitterness without introducing any of the volatile oils that burn off during the boiling process. These oils are what give you that zesty passionfruit, floral lemon or piney spice from whichever hops are used.
This method is especially popular in New England style IPAs that demand a lot of juicy hops without excessive bitterness. However, it is also a great way to add a lot of tropical aromas to any beer you can think of.
Brewers use this technique for a wide range of beers from stouts and wheat beers to lagers and IPAs. It’s a centuries-old tradition that brewers now use to ramp up the hoppiness of their beer. Look for the letters “DDH” on the label of some brews to know that they’ve been double-dry hopped.
American IPA
IPAs have many variations and brewers are always coming up with new ideas. Whether it’s a double or imperial version, or even something more balanced, the variety of hops available allows for many options.
An aromatic, citrus-like or piney American-variety hop character defines this popular beer style. Usually medium-bodied, it has clean fermentation and balancing malt that allow the creative range of hops to shine.
Depending on the hops used, it can be bitter or less so. The brewing process also affects how bitter or sweet it is, as can the water quality (pH can make hops more harsh in the final product). Some brewers add gypsum or sulfate to their water to enhance hop flavor and aroma. Other techniques, such as dry hopping, can add a burst of intense flavors.
