Fuggles IPA.Īmerican IPAs are quite diverse and can be further divided into several sub-styles. Notable style examples are: Sam Smith IPA, Harpoon IPA, Shipyard Brewing Co. The Hopfish IPA we tasted for example was brewed with a combination of European hops.Įnglish IPAs pair famously well with food and are really great partners to classic English cheeses such as Cheddar and Stilton Blue Cheese. Traditionally English grown hops such as East Kent Golding were used, but today similar European varietals are common as well. These are hops low in alpha acids (bitterness), but highly aromatic. The hops used in English IPA contribute very specific herbal flavors that balance the sweetness through a controlled hop bite. English IPAs are fermented by English ale yeast which brings about distinct fruity esters.įlying Fish Brewing Hopfish IPA is considered to be one of the most true to the English IPA style ales brewed in the US. These are derived from the traditional English malts used to brew them. They typically have strong malty character with dominant toffee, biscuit and caramel flavors. In the mid 1800s the extra hoppy pale ale became known as India Pale Ale.Įnglish IPAs have deep golden/amber color and are known for being very well balanced.
Harpoon ipa series#
Through a series of interesting events this style dominated the British beer exports (including to India) and later surpassed the popularity of porter in Britain. Known to last for months the style was a favorite for exports as it could survive long journeys through turbulent waters. It had a higher alcohol content and was generously hopped. At the time there was a style called October beer brewed by George Hodgson at his Bow Brewery. Their role was to both flavor and preserve the beer. The use of hops was not embraced by the British in beer making until the late 1700s. The typical method was using gruit, a blend of astringent herbs and spices such as rosemary, yarrow, juniper, heather, sometimes even dried fruit. For centuries to come flavoring beer was common practice – it would otherwise be a super sweet and spoil prone fermented beverage. Hops were first thought (per recorded evidence) to have been used as a beer bittering agent around 820 AD in a monastery in Northern France. Let me recap several facts from beer history. We usually do not taste craft beer in this manner and it was actually fun to compare styles in a sequence. We sat down and tasted several IPAs in order to outline the key attributes of India Pale Ale across the most prominent styles. American IPA is the traditional pair in terms of comparison when it comes to IPAs but it is only the beginning when it comes to the variety within the category and the increasing creativity poured into brewing American IPAs.